The amazing life of Joseph, son of Jacob, and the many ways his life paralleled or foreshadowed the life of Jesus here on earth concludes:

16 – Joseph explained to his astonished brothers that God had sent him ahead to preserve life. (Genesis 45:5) The Lord Jesus was sent from God to preserve life. (John 3:16)

17 – In the Bible, Egypt is a type or picture of the world. Joseph was lord of all Egypt. (Genesis 45:9) Figuratively, Joseph was lord of all the world. Jesus is Lord of all the world. (Philippians 2:9-10)

18 – By the end of the famine Joseph had exchanged food for the property of the Egyptians, and eventually for the Egyptians themselves. (Genesis 47:19) When the famine was over, he then gave them seed to sow for food. Joseph had delivered Egypt, or the world. Through His sacrifice, Lord Jesus delivered the entire world. (Acts 13:38-39)

19 – After the death of Jacob, the brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge on them. They came before him and again bowed to him. Joseph again explained to them that even though they meant it for evil, God meant it for good “to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20) Again, the Lord Jesus came to this world “to save many people alive.” (John 11:25)

20 – Joseph lived to be 110 years old. As the day of his death approached, Joseph made the Children of Israel promise to take his bones back to the Promised Land. (Genesis 50:24-26) Archaeologists have discovered an unusual tomb in Egypt. It is the tomb of a foreigner. It was a tomb of wealth and honor. From the remains of the statue found at the tomb they determined that the foreigner had red hair, and there were other non-Egyptian features. I suspect that this was the tomb of Joseph. Here is the zinger! The tomb had been broken into and the body was missing. The Children of Israel kept their promise to Joseph. The tomb of Joseph is empty, just as the tomb of our risen Lord Jesus is empty! (Mark 16:6)

Joseph was a remarkable man. He was beloved of his father and he was blessed by the Lord. The parallels or foreshadows of Jesus that are presented by Joseph are amazing.

Have you ever wondered why there is no tribe of Joseph among the Children of Israel? When Jacob died he blessed the two sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, and put them in the place of Joseph. Joseph was doubly blessed. His brothers all were head of one family, or tribe, but Joseph was the head of two families, or tribes.

The Lord blessed Joseph above all his brothers. Joseph is one of the many people I want to meet when we get to Heaven. Maybe we will bump into each other as we are gathered around the high and mighty Throne of God. May the Lord be worshipped, honored and praised always!