Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Genesis 41:38
Joseph is presented to us as a picture or an example of godliness. Nothing bad is ever said about him in the Bible. One reason may be that he is clearly presented as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. That means he is someone who points to Christ.
No doubt, Joseph had his faults and failings like any of us, but the record passes over them because the point of the story is to floodlight how God would bring redemption to the world through His favored Son, Jesus Christ.
As we travel together through the story of Joseph, here are two things to keep in mind: First, look for Jesus in the life of Joseph. The whole Bible is about Jesus. All of it points to Jesus—our need of Him and the glory of the One who meets our need. Second, look for snapshots of a godly life. What does a godly life look like? What can we expect if we walk in the footsteps of Jesus? What will it take for us to be useful, as Joseph was, in the work of God’s great kingdom?
One writer points out that from the story of Joseph, we can learn how to overcome envy, how to face adversity, how to resist sexual advances, how to plan for the future, how to forgive those who wrong us, how to dispel doubts about forgiveness, how to have faith in God’s promises, and how to recognize the sovereignty of God in the wrongs done to us by others. The story of Joseph is laden with what it will mean for us to live a godly life today.
Which of the many things we can learn from Joseph’s story seems most relevant to you right now? Which seems least relevant? Why?
