Connect Joseph's preservation of life to Jesus' mission in the New Testament. Joseph: Sent Ahead to Preserve Life “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” – Genesis 45:7 • Joseph identifies God, not circumstance, as the Author of his journey. • The purpose: “preserve…a remnant” and “save…by a great deliverance.” • This “remnant” carries forward the covenant line God promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) and Judah (Genesis 49:10), preparing the way for Messiah. The Pattern of Preservation in Genesis • Genesis 50:20 echoes 45:7: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…to save the lives of many.” • Psalm 105:17 affirms God’s initiative: “He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave.” • Joseph’s grain becomes life-sustaining bread in a famine; without it, the covenant family—and the promised Seed—would have perished. Parallels between Joseph and Jesus 1. Sent by the Father – Joseph: “God sent me before you” (Genesis 45:7). – Jesus: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:17) 2. Rejected by Brothers / Kinsmen – Joseph sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28). – Jesus rejected and crucified (John 1:11; Acts 2:23). 3. Suffered Innocently – Joseph endured false accusation and prison (Genesis 39). – Jesus endured unjust trials and the cross (1 Peter 2:22-24). 4. Exalted to Authority – Pharaoh elevates Joseph to rule Egypt (Genesis 41:41-44). – God exalts Jesus, giving Him “the name above every name” (Philippians 2:9-11). 5. Becomes the Source of Life – Joseph distributes grain that keeps nations alive (Genesis 41:57). – Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) and gives eternal life to all who believe (John 3:16). Jesus: The Ultimate Preserver of Life • Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” • Romans 5:8: Christ’s sacrificial death secures salvation while we are still sinners. • 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: His death and resurrection accomplish the “great deliverance” foreshadowed in Joseph. God’s Sovereign Thread from Joseph to Jesus • Joseph saves the family that will produce Judah’s line. • From Judah comes David, and ultimately Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16). • The physical preservation in Egypt becomes spiritual preservation at the cross—both orchestrated by the same faithful God. Living in the Light of the Deliverer • Trust God’s providence: what seems harmful, He weaves for redemptive good (Romans 8:28). • Receive the Bread of Life: just as Egypt’s grain required personal appropriation, so eternal life is received by believing in Christ (John 6:47). • Proclaim the Deliverance: Joseph invited his family to safety; believers now share Christ’s salvation “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). |
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