Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler. ~Albert Einstein

Shadows of the Christ~ Joseph Pt.1

Posted August 28, 2008

Boy! Where do we begin with Joseph? Along with Moses, I believe Joseph is more typical of Christ than any other OT figure.

Joseph was born into a dysfunctional family filled with jealousy and favoritism. It is amazing that he was able to maintain his focus on God in this atmosphere. From an early age there were signs that he would be great one day. Pair this with his propensity for pointing out the failings of his brothers, and you have the makings of seething conspiracy against him.

One day when Joseph was sent to check on his brothers in the fields, they saw their chance to get rid of him! It was Judah’s idea to sell Joseph to slave traders for 20 pieces of silver. Sound familiar?

We worship a Savior who was also destined for greatness. Jesus was born into a world broken by sin, but somehow managed to maintain his focus on God.

Ultimately, it was His goodness, and His habit of pointing out the hypocrisy of others that go Him into trouble. It is difficult to understand how men can hate what is good? And yet we see in the life of Joseph, and in Christ, how a light shining in darkness is often resented.

This should be a great warning to us. Good deeds are not always rewarded, and sometimes people react strongly to those that follow Christ. But we should also take great courage from these two great men. Each of them walked a difficult path that seemed doomed to failure. But through faith and perserverance they accomplished great things!

Perhaps we can have the courage to do the same!