Genesis 37:2-36
The Plan of God

Does the story sound familiar? A father sets his love upon a son and shows him special favor. The other children of this father hate the favored son because of this. The favored son tells them that he is to be exalted by God and they hate him all the more. He goes to seek them to bring them home to his father (and theirs). Wickedly, they plot to kill him. For that purpose they assault and overpower him and send him down into the grave.

But from that place he comes up again! Then the children discover that their wickedness has not frustrated God's plan but fulfilled it! The one whom they sought to put to death has brought them life. They repent of their sins and bow down to him, for God has exalted him and made him their Savior.

You hear the similarity, don't you? The story of Joseph is the story of Christ. This is the beginning of a long series of stories about the children of Israel. God raises up a messenger from their midst. They hate and despise the messenger (because they hate and despise God's word) and so seek to put him to death.

Christ is the last such messenger, the beloved Son whom the children of Israel seek to kill.

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, will bear this message to the unbelieving Jews. He will set the example of Joseph before them and will conclude by crying out, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" And in hatred, they will pick up stones to kill him. So the Church will be called to bear this character of Joseph which is the character of Christ.

So we see here in Joseph the story of Christ and of his people. The whole message of Genesis and of the Bible is summarized in this tale. We will notice along the way that this picture is not perfect, so we will see how the picture is perfected in Christ. And we will see the truth of Joseph's statement at the end of it all, "you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." So we will see in this picture of Christ the majestic sovereignty of God whose plans are never thwarted, whose purposes are sure.

  1. A Corrupt Picture Redeemed in Christ
    1. The Father
      1. Shows favoritism (3)
        1. Just as his father did - Isaac with Esau (sins of the father)
        2. Just as he did - Rachel over Leah
        3. Now he does it with Joseph, because Joseph is Rachel's son
      2. Is he right?
        1. No.
        2. If anyone is favored, it should be Reuben, his firstborn
        3. His actions are sinful and the cause of strife in his family.
      3. But the image is redeemed in Christ
        1. the Father shows legitimate favoritism
        2. He loves his only-begotten Son
        3. And he doesn't reject his other children, he MAKES us sons in Christ.
      4. So which is it?
        1. Is this an example of sinful favoritism?
        2. Or is it an example of the Father's love for Christ?
      5. It's both and
        1. That's the point of the Joseph story and really of all of Scripture
        2. Men mean things for evil, but God means them for good
        3. Jacob's favoritism is wrong and sinful
        4. But God means it as a picture of the relationship between the Father and the Son
      6. Jacob also fails to recognize God's word (10,11)
        1. Joseph has two dreams about his own exaltation
        2. And where have we seen dreams before?
          1. God appears to Abimelech in a dream
          2. God appears at Bethel in a dream
          3. God appears to Jacob in Haran in a dream
          4. God appears to Laban in a dream
        3. Dreams represent the word of God
        4. But Jacob fails to receive the word of God
          1. Just like his father Isaac who favored Esau even when God had chosen Jacob
          2. So Jacob has a poor head and is in turn a poor head over his family.
          3. His sons will likewise reject God's word, and more decisively.
        5. The nation of Israel must look at this and see that their head, Jacob, is corrupt.
        6. And our head, Adam, was corrupt, defying God's word.
        7. We need a new head.
    2. The Favorite Son
      1. Shepherds his brothers (2)
        1. Could mean "shepherded WITH his brothers"
        2. But can also mean "shepherded his brothers"
        3. He has already been set over them in a sense, like a shepherd to keep them in line.
        4. Just as Christ is set over the house of Israel like a shepherd
          1. Ezk 37:24 - they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.
          2. Isa 40 - He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those that are with young.
      2. Bears an ill reports (2)
        1. This word is always bad in the OT.
        2. It means to tattle, to gossip, to whisper, even to slander (i.e. we don't even know whether his reports were true).
        3. Prv 10:18 - Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
        4. So Joseph is definitely doing something malicious that will bring strife between him and his family.
      3. Again, he means it for evil; God means it for good.
        1. Here is another picture of Christ.
        2. Christ the shepherd of his people, bearing an ill report of them to his Father.
        3. Not maliciously, though.
        4. Rather, he tells the Father, things are not well with your children; something must be done.
        5. And then he volunteers to do it, to bring the life-giving word of God to his people.
      4. Testifies to God's word (5-7, 9)
        1. He tells of his dreams
        2. Again, at the least this isn't wise, and possibly malicious.
        3. Again, though, this example is redeemed in Christ who announces himself to Israel as their king so that they may give honor to the Father through him.
      5. Seeks the brothers to make sure they are ok (12-17)
        1. His brothers are in Shechem, shepherding (12)
          1. Shechem, the place of their former sin
          2. Shechem, 50 miles away. The brothers are far removed from their father's presence
        2. By the time he gets there, they are farther still, in Dothan, another 13 miles. (15-17)
        3. He goes to them to see that it is well with them and to bring back word to his father. (14)
      6. So it is with Christ who sought his people, though they were far off, that he might care for them.
    3. The Other Sons
      1. Hate the favorite son (4)
        1. As Israel hated Christ
        2. So they hate Joseph for no other reason than that their father loves him.
      2. Hate God's word (8,11)
        1. They don't believe that Joseph's dreams are from God
        2. So they despise the word that says they will bow down to him
        3. So Israel's character is here established
          1. They can look back to this and see that they were from the beginning those who hated God's messenger
          2. And they can see that their salvation will come in spite of this.
        4. Lk 24:24 - O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26"Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
      3. Plot against the son (18-24)
        1. They see him coming and they seize their chance to destroy the one they hate
        2. Just as their descendants will do with the prophets
        3. Just as their descendants will do with Jesus
      4. Reuben puts up a weak defense (21,22)
        1. So in the midst of evil we have one who at least desires to do good.
        2. But it is not enough fully to overcome the evils of his brothers.
        3. Reuben, the firstborn, is not a good head over his brothers to lead them in righteousness.
        4. But Jesus is.
      5. Rejoice in his demise
        1. They throw him in a pit and eat a meal! (25)
        2. They feast because their enemy is overthrown
        3. So the enemies of Christ rejoiced when he was crucified, not knowing that God was still working his purpose out
        4. So the enemies of Christ rejoice still when the Church is brought low. But we know that God is in control and working all things together for our good.
      6. Worry about their guilt (26)
        1. To kill Joseph and "conceal his blood" would bring guilt upon them
        2. Just as Abel's blood cried out from the ground against Cain
        3. Here they are, spiritually the children of Cain, but a little more crafty now in their evil.
        4. This is Israel's problem
          1. We look at the story of Cain and Abel and identify with Abel
          2. But this story identifies Israel with Cain, the brother-killer
          3. Who will redeem them from this identity?
          4. Joseph will by coming back alive for their salvation
        5. Ultimately Christ will.
      7. So they sell him into slavery (28), a sin which the Mosaic Law condemned with death.
      8. Repeat their father's deceptions
        1. They kill a goat and smear its blood on Joseph's coat and deceive their father with it (31,32)
        2. The sins of the father….
        3. Jacob also killed a goat and used it to deceive HIS father.
      9. Yet the story is redeemed
        1. Joseph is "killed" but brought back to life for the salvation of those who killed him.
        2. So it is with Christ.
  2. The Deaths and Resurrections of Joseph
    1. Put into Cistern and Brought Out
      1. He goes down into the earth, down into the grave.
      2. But he is brought up out of that place, a picture of the resurrection of Christ.
    2. Mourned by Jacob, but Alive in Egypt
      1. Jacob mourns him as dead (34,35)
      2. But the very next verse speaks of Joseph being alive (36)
      3. Another sort of death and resurrection.
      4. These things were written so that we would see the death and resurrection of Christ prefigured again and again.
    3. Sold into Slavery, but…?
      1. Slavery is a sort of death.
      2. And we will have to wait until later in the story for the resurrection from this death.
      3. But eventually Joseph will rise to power and sit at Pharaoh's right hand, a picture of Jesus humbling himself even to death and being exalted.
    4. Sent Away to Egypt, but…?
      1. When will he come back?
      2. Genesis leaves this "death" unresolved
      3. It is like Adam and Eve leaving the garden.
      4. He will give instructions concerning his bones
        1. And in Joshua those bones will be returned to the Promised Land
        2. But is this really a good picture of the resurrection?
        3. We need the real thing in Christ.
  3. The Sovereign Providence of God
    1. Joseph and His Family
      1. What must Joseph be thinking?
        1. Does it seem obvious to him at this point in the story that God is in control?
        2. Does he know how he will come to be a picture of his Savior
      2. What must the brothers be thinking?
        1. Will God reject them now?
        2. Have they just cut themselves off from God's salvation promises?
      3. What must Jacob be thinking?
        1. His favorite son is dead
        2. How will the promises of God fix that?
      4. The situation seems pretty hopeless
      5. Things do not seem to be going according to God's plan
      6. This is the perspective of those who do not know the end of God's plan from the beginning.
    2. The Nation of Israel
      1. Is this really the identity God means to give them or is he just out of control?
      2. They know the moral of the story.
      3. So it is clear God's in control and that he will bring salvation to his people through a messenger whom they will reject.
      4. They begin to see that their relationship with God is not about being righteous so he will accept them; it's about being saved in spite of their sin.
    3. Jesus and His Disciples
      1. He knew these things.
      2. He saw himself in the Scriptures and knew that he must suffer and die and be raised again.
      3. He taught these things plainly to his disciples.
      4. But they didn't understand
      5. Imagine how things looked to the disciples after the crucifixion
        1. The plan of God has come to a big screeching halt
        2. The forces of evil have triumphed
        3. God's messenger, their only hope, has been put to death.
        4. And they had been hoping he would be the one to redeem Israel
      6. Can things look any bleaker?
      7. They should have known from the Joseph story that God meant it for good and would restore his servant
    4. You, the Church of Christ
      1. You DO know these things.
      2. NOTHING can happen to you that is outside of God's plan
      3. Therefore come and embrace even the sufferings of Christ
      4. Do not fear the world, they did not overcome Christ, they cannot overcome his Church
      5. Rely on these promises! Rest in them!
      6. Whatever happens, remember this story of Joseph which is the story of Christ.
      7. God cannot be thwarted.
      8. Think of your lowest point, and perhaps you're going through that right now.
      9. This is exactly God's plan
      10. Maybe something bad has happened because someone has sinned against you
        1. So what?
        2. God is not frustrated by that. His plans cannot be frustrated.
        3. THEY meant it for evil, but God means it for good.
      11. Maybe it was even your own sin
        1. Still, so what?
        2. Joseph's brothers sinned against him and he became their salvation.
        3. The people of Israel sinned against Christ, and he became their salvation when they repented.
        4. God is more powerful even than YOUR sin.
      12. This is what the story of Joseph tells you
      13. This is what the story of Christ confirms and establishes
      14. Cling to this above all else - God is in control and working all things out for the good of his people. What can you fear?

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