Who Was Joseph In The Bible?

Jacob loved Joseph more than all of his children, and made him a coat of many colors, and because of this his brothers hated him. (Genesis 37:1-4)

Joseph related two dreams, which indicated his future superior position, and they hated him even more for this. (Genesis 37:5-11)

Jacob sent the brothers to Dothan and they conspired to slay him. Judah proposed that they sell him to the Midianites on their way to Egypt. They dipped his coat in the blood of a kid, they told Jacob he was slain by a wild beast. The Midianites sold him to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer. (Genesis 37:12-36)

Joseph was made overseer of Potiphar’s house. Potiphar’s wife tried to entice him and made up false charges against him and was put into prison. (Genesis 39:7-23)

Joseph interpreted the dreams of two prisoners, the king’s butler and the baker. These dreams were fulfilled. (Genesis 40)

Two years later, Pharaoh had two dreams that troubled him. Joseph interprets them and said that there will be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, and he counsels Pharaoh how to deal with the situation. (Genesis 41:1-36)

Pharaoh makes Joseph his prime minister. He acted wisely and the storehouses of Egypt were filled. (Genesis 41:37-57)

The famine in Palestine compelled Jacob to send his sons to Egypt to buy corn. Joseph recognized his brothers but did not reveal his identity. He sent them back with corn and hid their money in the bags. (Genesis 42)

He required them to return with Benjamin. He reveals himself to his brothers, and treats them with great kindness and offered them a home in Egypt. (Genesis 43-45)

Jacob and his people were placed by Joseph in Goshen, where they lived and they prospered greatly. (Genesis 46), (Genesis 50:13)

After Jacob’s death, Joseph deals kindly with his brothers. He assures them that God will restore them to their own land and receives from them a pledge that they will carry back with them his remains. He died at the age of 110 years old. (Genesis 50:14-26)

In some of the circumstances of his life Joseph was peculiarly typical of Christ. He was sold by his own people into slavery. He was cast into prison, to his humiliation. According to his statement one prisoner was greatly favored, the other suffered death. On the cross Jesus spoke one malefactor into paradise; and the other died in his sins. Joseph rose from humiliation to exaltation; from his humiliation of death and the grave Jesus rose in glory of his resurrection.