Genesis: Joseph & The Exodus
The End of The Beginning
As we conclude our study on the book of Genesis, we will be concluding our linear look through the first book of the Bible by looking at the last few chapters in Genesis. When looking at these last few chapters, it is impossible to acknowledge what is going on without knowing who Joseph is. Many people know of this character in the Bible because of how popular the story of Joseph is. We learn about Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat growing up, and these principles and characteristics that Joseph shows in his life are good characteristics to live by throughout the rest of our days. But is that all there is to learn from Joseph’s life? Indeed his being sold by his brothers and then being made great by Pharaoh is the most popular aspect of his life, but is there something else we can learn from Joseph and the end of Genesis altogether? I think you know the answer. As Jon Bloom so beautifully and correctly points out, “In the biblical account it's tempting to only see Joseph's heroic character and achievements. But God does not want us to miss the largely silent, desperate years Joseph endured.” Throughout Joseph’s life, we see not just how God can use us, but we see just how much life can bring us down and tempt us to abandon God as well. Throughout Joseph’s life, we see not just how the next part of the Biblical story will unfold, but we see how God will continue the plan He had from the very beginning with Adam, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Let’s dive in.
The Bridge
To start, the very end of Joseph’s story opens up everything that will happen in the very next part of the Old Testament. When you take a glance at the Pentateuch (the first 5 books in the Bible), you probably immediately think of Moses and all the laws that God has given him and the people of Israel to follow in the wilderness as they seek out the Promise Land. But how did they get here? How do Jacob’s sons go from being blessed beyond measure by their father and by Pharaoh, to slaves that need rescuing from Pharaoh? It all starts when Jacob and his sons move to Egypt to be with Joseph as he rules over Egypt. Genesis 47:5-6 tells us, “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. “The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.” Joseph has great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh as we know from the earlier part of his story, and so by default, his brothers and father have found favor in Pharaoh’s eyes as well. Because of this favor, the sons of Jacob multiply and multiply and it makes the men of Egypt uncomfortable about how large in number the people of Israel are. But this part of the story bleeds into the beginning of Exodus, for now, we just need to find the bridge from how Jacob’s descendants ultimately became the slaves of Pharaoh, and that is found right here in Genesis 47 when the whole family moves to Egypt to be with Joseph during a harsh famine. More on this story next month.
God’s Plan
Furthermore, God’s grace and providence are written all over the story of Joseph’s life as well. As we’ve addressed many times in previous blogs about the story of Genesis, God never leaves His plans up to chance in the hands of fallen mankind. Our Lord always upholds His end of the deal and He always knows that every situation will come down to His perfect righteousness and not man’s. One of the greatest areas we see this exact act take place is in the life of Joseph. In the final chapter of Genesis, we see Joseph’s brothers preparing for Joseph to take revenge on them for the evil acts they committed against him in their youth. Look at Joseph’s response in Genesis 50:20-21 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive. “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Not only is this a beautiful picture of kindness and forgiveness, but it’s an amazing overview of what the story of the Bible has been about thus far. God’s sovereignty and providence are unmatched no matter what kind of sin mankind commits or no matter what kind of plans the enemy has in store.
God’s image bearers may very well in fact be broken and sinful, but He has a plan that will bring His people back to His heart so that they may be redeemed. What we meant for evil, God will use for good. The sovereignty and providence of God overflow in the book of Genesis and we can’t overlook it. It’s what makes reading the rest of the Bible so enticing. When we see that God is up to something in order to redeem His people of their sin, it’s amazing to see how He puts this perfect plan into action throughout the rest of scripture. It’s also what makes Genesis 3:15 so mindblowing. “And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel.” That’s right, from the very beginning of scripture when mankind first sinned against God and broke their relationship, our Lord already had a plan to redeem His people through Christ, generations before Christ ever came. How beautiful the sovereignty of God truly is. I hope and pray that as we continue on to next month with our next book study, you will grow in the knowledge of God’s Word with us and see how His amazing plan continues to unfold throughout the rest of scripture.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] Bloom, J. (2023, October 6). Joseph: Staying faithful when things just get worse. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/joseph-staying-faithful-when-things-just-get-worse
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