GENESIS 1
Genesis 1 is about Jesus. It is the creation story, summarized into a seven-day timeline. Though only one specific member of the Godhead is mentioned here (the Spirit, v2), the word “God” shows up in almost every verse. The Hebrew word being translated here is “Elohim.” Elohim is the plural form of the word “Eloahh.” Eloahh means “the Deity.” Throughout Genesis, the word Elohim is consistently used over Eloahh, denoting some kind of pluralality, which we have come to know as the Trinity. Verse 1 reads, literally, “In the beginning the Triune God created…” This includes Jesus! Jesus was there when the earth was created; He created it! Jesus didn’t go to the cross for someone else’s creation, He died to save what He created. As further proof, in verse 26, Elohim says, “Let us make man in our image.” The Triune God works together with the Persons of Himself to create the earth and everything above, on, and under it.
GENESIS 2
Genesis two zooms in on the timeline from Genesis 1 and takes a closer look at the creation of man and woman. Elohim declares that they will make man in their image. One attribute of Elohim is the eternal communion He has among His Persons. Elohim is not alone; He is in Triune company. Man was never meant to be alone either, and therefore, God created man and woman. Though we have not seen it yet, Adam, the first man, is an incomplete man. He will commit sin against God. The Bible declares that Adam was a “type of the One who was to come.” Adam and Eve are also the beginning of the bloodline that would lead to Jesus. The last verse of chapter 2 says that the man and the woman were both naked and felt no shame. They had nothing to hide; they had done no wrong, just as Jesus did no wrong.
GENESIS 3: THE FALL
Genesis 3 is the sad chapter in the Bible where man first disobeys God, setting a pattern for all of man’s lifetime on earth. Adam and Eve shared a meal with Satan at the tree. But Jesus has come to save the world from its sins, and those who are under His grace will eat a meal with Him in heaven in the end. Though sin is powerful and something to be weary of, Jesus is far more powerful and can overcome sin in every single instance. The chapter is also a foreshadowing of Jesus betrayal: As man betrayed God in the Garden of Eden, so would man again betray Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Genesis 3 shows us the depravity of man and how opposite man is of Christ.
GENESIS 4: CAIN AND ABEL
Genesis 4 shows us God’s favor. The Bible gives us no apparent reason why God liked Abel’s sacrifice better than Cain’s, other than that His favor was upon Abel’s sacrifice. This is God’s right. He is sovereign; He created all things. It is not the job of man to approve or disapprove God’s favor, but this is exactly what Cain did, and it led to him murdering his brother. Just as the favor of God is independent from man in the story of Cain and Abel, so too is it in the story of the cross. God has ordained those He foreknew to have their sins atoned for and their eyes opened to see the glories of the Risen Christ. It is not up to man to question God’s decisions about who the cross is “for,” but rather, it is our job to rejoice in the cross and glorify God in doing so. He is sovereign and His will is not to be dictated by man. As the Lord says to Job, “Who is this that darkens my council without knowledge?” God’s favor falls on those whom He chooses.
GENESIS 5: ADAM TO MOSES
Genesis 5 may be a section of scripture where one might ask, “Where does it talk about Jesus here?” The reality is that it is all about Him. Though there were many thousands of people in the world, especially by the end of the chapter, the book only records a few key men. The reason for this is that these men are in the bloodline to Jesus. With most of these men, you can find the phrase “and had other sons and daughters.” But the book chooses to specifically mention certain people as they relate to the bloodline of Christ. This is why, in Adam’s paragraph, Cain and Abel are not mentioned, but Seth is. Seth is the second link in the bloodline to Christ.
GENESIS 6: THE FLOOD
This prophecy from God is not only about the flood; it is also a prophecy about Jesus. Just as all peoples on earth would perish from the flood, all peoples on earth will perish from sin. Noah was a sinner. In the verses prior, it says “every inclination of [man’s] heart was only evil all the time” (v5). Noah found favor, or grace, in God’s eyes, and was granted salvation from the flood. Like those being saved by Jesus, they did nothing to merit the salvation given them, but are the undeserving recipients of grace. Just as the wooden ark would deliver the people from the flood, so too would Jesus’ wooden cross deliver the people from sin and its consequences. Just as God declares (in v18) that He is establishing a covenant with man (the Noahic Covenant), Jesus establishes a covenant at the last supper (the New Covenant). Genesis 6 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 7: DEPENDENCE ON THE CROSS
Genesis 7 is the story of the flood. The Lord opened the floodgates of heaven and the springs of the great deep and He flooded the whole earth. He did so because everyone was evil. The bible says that everyone only thought evil all of the time (even Noah). The flood is God’s wrath poured out on the earth. It is only by grace that Noah was chosen to live. The same is true of the cross. It is only by grace that Believers are chosen to receive Salvation. There is nothing they have done to deserve it, and they are not better than any sinner. In fact, they themselves are sinners, whose only hope is found in the grace of God. The “Noahic Covenant” is the precursor to Jesus’ “New Covenant.” Just as Noah would carry the hope of humanity through a flood of water on a wooden boat, Jesus would carry the hope of humanity through a flood of God’s wrath on a wooden cross.
GENESIS 8: EASTER
After Christ was crucified, He was laid to rest in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. The apostles and disciples were distraught. They had seen the One they had hoped in murdered. They had seen Him tortured and beaten, and they had seen a spear thrust into His heart. They had wrapped Him in burial cloth and laid Him behind a massive stone door. Even the Romans had sent soldiers to make sure the tomb was where He stayed. The One they had believed had come to deliver them was dead. When Noah and his family boarded the ark, they had no idea to what degree God would pour out His wrath. I’m sure they mourned for their friends who perished and for the nation they called home as the flood waters rose and destroyed everything they ever knew, save the few people that were on the ark with them. Furthermore, the rain did not relent for forty days! The depths of despair are unfathomable; and the waters themselves did not recede for 150 days. They had to wonder if they would ever see land again. For a time, it must have been hopeless. Like Jesus in the tomb, their hope was dead. But just as all hope seemed lost, there was a sign of life. As Mary and Martha returned from the tomb telling about its emptiness, the dove returned to Noah with a sign of life. As God’s plan had been all along, those covered by grace where brought back to hope in the promise of new life through God. As the land was washed clean by the flood, people have been given the opportunity to be washed clean by Jesus. He is risen, as Genesis 8 foretells.
GENESIS 9: THE NOAHIC COVENANT
The Noahic Covenant that God made with Noah and his descendants foreshadows the coming of Christ to bear the burden of the world’s punishment for sin. Christ’s coming completes the Noahic Covenant. God declares that He would never again flood the entire earth and kill all of its inhabitants. But God cannot go against His own laws and not punish sin. The Law declares that for the atonement of sin, there must be blood. As people throughout time would sin, Christ would come to pay for that sin, on the cross, so that the world would not have to.
GENESIS 10: THE TABLE OF NATIONS
This section of Genesis records the sons of Noah as they follow the Lord’s command to populate the earth. It seems that the sons of Japheth went away from the mainland and went to the farther “ends of the earth.” A word in Hebrew that translated here as “coastlands” (v5) is later found in the book of Isaiah, chapter 42, verse 4. It is a prophecy of Christ that says: “…the coastlands will wait in anticipation for His decrees.” The Table of Nations sets up the world for the movement of the gospel of Christ across the globe.
GENESIS 11: PREPARING THE WAY
God’s plan was not for the Gospel to the Gospel-of-the-middle-east, but rather, the Gospel-of-the-world. If the population of humanity did not spread and populate the earth, as God had commanded, the Gospel would not be global. Enter Gen 11:8, “So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building [Babel].” The Lord is sovereign and values the sacrifice of Christ much more than a regional gospel.
The second part of Genesis 11 follows the genealogy of Shem, the son of Noah. Here we see the generations from Shem to Abram. The lifespan of humans has decreased significantly from the time of Adam, and we can assume that the amount of children had by a family decreased as a result. It is no doubt however that 10 generations out from Noah, the world was once again very populated. But Genesis disregards this and only follows the line of Shem. We don’t know what became of Noah’s other sons. Why? It is because they are not in the bloodline of the Messiah. It would be Shem’s blood that would lead to Jesus. It would be Reu’s blood that led to Jesus. It would be Abram’s blood that led to Jesus. It would be the blood of Gideon, Boaz, David, Soloman, and Joseph that would lead to the Messiah. Genesis 11 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 12: FULFILLMENT IN CHRIST
Genesis 12 is the first time we see the Abrahamic Covenant. God says, “…I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing… and all the families on earth will bless one another by your name.” We see this covenant fulfilled in Christ. In Him are the blessings that were to come through the line of Abram, as God promised; and it is only through His Name that all families on earth may be blessed. Genesis 12 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 13: CHILDREN OF ABRAM
Abram begins chapter 13 by starting his journey for God by leaving Egypt, heading for what would be Israel, much like Jesus did when He left Egypt as a child. The story comes to a point where Lot and Abram have a choice about where to travel. They could go east to Jordan where the Sodomites lived and rebelled against God, or they could go to Canaan. Lot chose to go to Jordan, the quick and easy route. Abram chose to go to Canaan, which God told him that He would give Abram for his descendants. This choosing of directions could be symbolic of Jesus’ choice in the Garden to obey His call to go to the cross. Finally, God promises Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as “the dust of the earth.” Little did Abram know that it would be the spiritual children that would be numbered here, and not simply his blood descendants. Also in his line would be the Christ, the One through whom all others would come to be called “children of Abraham.”
GENESIS 14: THE HIGH PRIEST MELCHIZEDEK
In chapter 14, Sodom is attacked by surrounding areas and all the people, including Lot, are taken captive. Abram becomes aware of the situation, and like Jesus, goes to set the captives free. He rescues Lot and the people of Sodom. The priest Melchizedek comes to Abram afterwards to lead his people home. Melchizedek is a precursor to Jesus. The writer of Hebrews writes that Melchizedek has no recorded ancestors, nor date of birth, nor date of death, and that like Jesus, he is a priest that reigns forever. When Melchizedek blesses Abram, he chooses to lift bread and wine to celebrate and remember God’s goodness, just as Jesus did the evening before He was arrested. Genesis 14 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 15
The covenant made here is very similar to the covenant made by Jesus in the NT. In Genesis, Abram sacrifices animals and the participants in the covenant must walk through the animal (and through their blood). Jesus sacrifices Himself and tells people that only through Him may anyone come to the Father. The Genesis 15 covenant is a foreshadowing of Jesus.
GENESIS 16
For the second time in scripture, we see a phrase that means “obeyed” being used in the context of the husband submitting to the wife. Both times have been issues of failure for man. The first occurrence is found in Genesis 3:17, the fall of man. Jesus, however, did not submit to anyone’s will besides God’s. Later in the chapter, we get to see a few of the Divine attributes named. First, the Angel of the Lord tells Hagar to name her son Ishmael, a name that reminds her that God hears her cries. Next, Hagar names a well (provided by God) Beer Lahai Roi to remind her that God sees her situations. The fact that God sees and hears the situations of the downtrodden, and then acts to show mercy, grace, and love shows us that our God, including Jesus, is a God of compassion. This trait of compassion is ultimately summed up in the cross of Christ. All other acts of compassion are precursors or shadows of the cross.
GENESIS 17: THE BREAD AND WINE
In Genesis 17, God renames Abraham, just as Jesus renamed Simon. He also gives Abraham a sign of the covenant between him and God. Jesus, just before establishing His new covenant, gives the disciples a sign, the bread and wine, to do in remembrance of Him. Finally, God reaffirms His promise to bless Abraham and make him the father of many nations. This would be later fulfilled when those in Christ would call themselves “Sons of Abraham.”
GENESIS 18: JESUS INCARNATE
Genesis 18 is a great foreshadowing of the One who was to come. Just as God took on figure to walk upon the earth in the Garden, and now by the Oaks of Mamre, Jesus would eventually take on flesh to walk upon the earth in His day. The Lord came to Abraham to declare His covenant to him (that through him would come many nations), just as Jesus came to His people to declare His covenant with them (that through Him would people come to God).
Also in this chapter, Abraham shows incredible bravery in his requests of God. Much like Jesus wrestling in prayer for His disciples in the garden, Abraham wrestles in intersession with God for Sodom and Gomorrah, where he likely knew his nephew Lot was living.
GENESIS 19
Chapter 19 is a picture of the relationship between God and man. In the chapter, Sodom is representative of the world, and Zoar is representative of Christ. Because the Lord had mercy on Lot and his family, He opened his eyes to the fact that he needed to get out of Sodom. Their instruction was to flee and not look back. This perfectly coincides with our mandate to follow Christ, forsaking the world, and not looking back. Like Zoar, Christ is the only protection we have from sin and death. Genesis 19 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 20
Verse 7 says, “…indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.” At the time, God is talking to Abimelech about giving Sarah back to Abraham, but He is also foreshadowing the coming relationship between man and Christ. Jesus says it this way in Matthew 16:25, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” We must be willing to give up our life for the life Christ desires to live through us. Genesis 20 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 21
In Genesis 21, an angel appears to Sarah as she is with child, much like what happened when Mary, the mother of Jesus, became pregnant. Isaac’s birth was not a virgin birth, but it was ordained by God. The birth of Isaac also symbolized the coming of the New Covenant of Faith (symbolized by the fulfilled promise of Isaac’s birth), and the passing of the Law (symbolized by the casting out of Hagar, the slave girl, and her son). Just as the Law did not pass away, but became useful in showing people their need for Christ, so Ishmael and Hagar did not simply pass away. Rather, Ishmael went on to become a great nation as God had promised. But it would be through Isaac, a type of the One to come, that all nations would be blessed with the manifestation of Christ as Jesus.
GENESIS 22
Chapter 22 of Genesis is another great foreshadowing of Jesus. Isaac is another type of the One who was to come. When God called for the sacrifice of Isaac’s life, Abraham faithfully went to obey. For the last leg of the journey to the place of sacrifice, Isaac carried the wood on his back on which he was to be sacrificed. When Jesus was called to sacrifice His own life, He willingly did the same by carrying His cross to Golgotha. Through Isaac, Jesus would come to save Israel (and the world), and through Isaac, Genesis 22 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 23
This chapter is a subtle reminder of the mortality that we all face as humans. Abraham owned no land in Canaan, the land God promised him and his descendants, until he bought the field and cave from a rich man where he buried Sarah. Christ too owned no land, but still was buried in a rich man’s tomb. Both of these tombs were filled with the hope of a resurrection to come. For Jesus, the day was set, three away. For Abraham and Sarah, the date is known only to God, but one thing is for certain. For those who are in Christ, even the burial tomb is not the final place of dwelling for those in Christ.
GENESIS 24: JESUS AND HIS BRIDE
Though the story at first seems unrelated to Christ, it is an amazing parallel to Christ and His bride, the Church. First, the servant of Abraham represents John the Baptist. Isaac represents Jesus, and Abraham represents God. As the servant notes, it is God who will bring a wife for Isaac before him. Abraham charges the servant with preparing the way for a wife for Isaac, so the servant goes to do so. Just as John had one message for the people, the servant only had one message for the women he met, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” Only the one who responded to this call would be chosen as a wife for Isaac. Similarly, as the gospel is proclaimed, only those who respond with repentance and belief become a part of the Church, the bride of Christ. One of Jesus’ hardest teachings is taught here as well. Though Rebekah probably did not want to leave her family, and her family obviously did not want her to leave them, Jesus says that if anyone is to follow after Him, they must forsake their family for His purposes. Because of her obedience, she would be blessed, and because of Abraham’s grace, she would be added to his family.
GENESIS 25: THE KINGDOM OF GOD
In Genesis 25, the focus of the Bible continues to narrow in on Christ, through His lineage. In this chapter, we can see a comparison of Jesus with Jacob and Esau. Though Jesus would never use deception, He and Jacob are alike in that they retained their birthrights. Both Esau and Jesus were tempted to sell their birthrights (Jesus by Satan in the wilderness). Esau shamefully sold his for a bowl of soup, while Jesus was able to overcome the temptation to sell His for authority to rule all the nations on earth. This comparison serves to further elaborate on the meaning of the “two nations” battling in Rebekah’s womb. The “two nations” are representative of The Kingdom of Man and The Kingdom of God. No man entered first the Kingdom of God, but all entered first the Kingdom of Man. In this way, it is true that “the younger will rule over the older.” The Kingdom of Man is brash and self-dependent, while the Kingdom of God is just the opposite, dependent on Christ. Upon Christ’s first arrival, He brought the Kingdom of God to earth in a new way, by bringing Himself, the head of the Kingdom. At His second coming, He will bring the Kingdom by force and the Kingdom of Man will be destroyed.
GENESIS 26: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Genesis 26 shows us the need for Jesus as the One to break the lineage of sin. Neither Abraham or Isaac were able to remain righteous or faithful before God. The entire chapter shows events in Isaac’s life that are almost identical to the events of Abraham’s life, showing evidence to the reader of the passing of our “sin nature” from a father to his child. This is incredibly important when it comes to Jesus because He too would have inherited the nature of His Father. Providentially, the Father’s nature is one of the utmost righteousness, and thus Jesus is able to save us, a sinful people.
GENESIS 27
Chapter 27 points out many of the things that set Jesus apart from the world around Him. Even though Jacob is generally thought of as a “good person,” the last two chapters of Genesis shows him doing all sorts of wicked things. Just as his father before him, he continues to live in sin, cheating his brother out of his father’s blessing. Of course, Jesus was sinless; He never lied or deceived anyone. Why must the Lord be born of a virgin? As indicated by this chapter, it must be to avoid the genetic sin nature passed down the line all the way from Adam.
GENESIS 28: JESUS THE BRIDGE
In chapter 28, Jacob has a dream where he sees Christ. He sees Him as a ladder, connecting heaven to earth. The ladder connects men to God, giving them access to that which they could not attain on their own. As Jesus was both God and man, He alone is able to bridge this gap and overcome sin for the sake of the world. Genesis 28 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 29
Genesis 29 shows us something of the relationship between Christ and His bride. Of course Jacob is sinful so his representation is very tainted. The redeeming, Christ-like factor of this story is that Jacob was willing to work very hard to win his bride, just as Christ would be.
The last part of the chapter tells us of Leah’s children. Leah becomes the mother of Judah, through which will come Jesus.
GENESIS 30: NOT THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS
Genesis 30 shows us a good representation of Christ’s work on earth for His people. Even though Jacob used deceitful means to acquire it, the sheep that he attains are very comparable to the people that Christ came to seek and save. When asked, Christ responded saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” So, as Jacob took the spotted, blemished sheep, so Jesus took the sinful people to be in His flock.
GENESIS 31: THE OLD LIFE
Genesis 31 is a good reminder of the battle we must fight to flee towards our new life in Christ and away from our old life of sin. In the story, Jacob represents the hard-working, Christ-following life. Laban represents all that is old: our old lives and selves, our old desires, and our old ways before Christ has redeemed and sanctified us. When our old lives of sin catch up to us, we must call upon God to protect us from it. The speed at which Laban was able to catch Jacob was astonishing (Jacob lived two days from Laban and it was three days after Jacob left that Laban heard that it was so. Laban then caught up to Jacob in seven days). When our old lives suddenly catch up to us, the only response that we can have is to build a monument in our hearts to Jesus who has separated us from our old selves and put our faith in Him to continually bury the old and give life to the new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone, the new is come.”
GENESIS 32
In Genesis 32, we see in the relationship of God and Jacob a foreshadowing of the relationship between Jesus and Simon. Both Jacob and Simon were prone to speak out against the plans of the Sovereign God, but not out of rebellion, rather out of ignorance. Like Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, so God renamed Jacob as Israel. The names are significant as God uses them to define a person, remind them of an encounter with God, or call them to faith. Just like Israel in Genesis 32, Peter would be rewarded for his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus. Genesis 32 also foreshadows the incarnation of God as the man Jesus Christ many years later.
GENESIS 33: REUNION
One of the most incredible powers of Christ is the power of Reunion. The blood of Jesus can mend any situation because He has power and authority over all situations. In Genesis 33, we see Jacob (now Israel) come back together with his brother Esau. As Israel sulks during his approach, Esau runs to him and embraces him, welcoming him back despite what was done in the past. This story is foreshadowing of the story Jesus would tell which we know as “the prodigal son.” It is a story of a son being reunited with a father. Even though the son has sinned greatly against the father, the father takes him back gladly, running to him, embracing him, and treating him as though he were a king. This story in Genesis 33 is a foreshadowing of redemption for those found in Christ. No matter what “bad blood” is spilled upon the alter of the past, the New Blood of the New Covenant of Christ Jesus will cover over all of it and save all those it covers.
GENESIS 34
Chapter 34 shows us a small picture of the wrath that will befall those who violate God’s daughters. Jesus will judge the living and the dead and will condemn those like Shechem to an eternal punishment. Though the sons of Jacob were deceitful about their intentions, Jesus will be straight-forward and truthful.
GENESIS 35
Genesis 35 is the first time we see God’s promise to Israel include kings coming from his line. This will mean kings like David and Solomon, but ultimately the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.
Genesis 35 also contains a foreshadowing of the betrayal of King David by his son Absalom. Absalom would sleep with his father’s concubine, as Reuben did to Israel, in order to try to establish himself as head of the family. These physical acts of betrayal are figuratively representative of the betrayals that Jesus would suffer; some at the hands of friends like Peter and Judas, and others at the hands of his enemies. Genesis 35 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 36
Genesis 36 is a good reminder about the Lordship of Christ over all people. Though it seems as if this chapter goes on and on forever bout the names and children of many different people, it is important to realize that if the Bible takes the time to talk about something, even the lineage of a people, it must be important. With that in mind, we can look at the people listed here as subjects of Jesus Christ. Even though few of their names even sound familiar to us, they still make the list of those Christ died for. This should spur us on to love others as Christ did, even though we may not know them.
GENESIS 37
The story of Joseph in Genesis 37 holds some stunning similarities to the story of Jesus’ betrayal. Joseph was despised by the other children of Israel, just as Jesus, at the time of His betrayal, was despised by a majority of Israelites. Because His teachings were too offensive, like Joseph’s dreams, the people no longer wanted to follow Him. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver. Jesus was sold for 30 pieces. Both of their betrayers, Joseph’s brothers and Jesus’ friend Judas, were extremely close and the betrayal would have been incredibly painful emotionally. Finally, both Jesus and Joseph were “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7); Jesus to the Roman Governor, Joseph to the Egyptian Captain. Joseph’s betrayal is a foreshadowing of the betrayal of Jesus.
GENESIS 38: GRACE FOR SINNERS
In chapter 38, we are shown the depravity out of which Jesus would rise, and of which He would die to save. The House of Judah is begun by sin! It was not by merit that this house would be the House of the Messiah, but rather, it was by grace alone. With this act, Jesus sets the tone for His entire ministry, on earth and after His time here. The theme is “grace alone.” The ancestry of Jesus is not earned, just as salvation cannot be earned. It is only given by Him in His providential grace. It is also interesting to note here that if Tamar had not deceived Judah, the line connecting the Messiah to Abraham would have been broken. The Line of Kings would have stopped. There would have been no King David or King Solomon, and certainly no Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.
GENESIS 39
Like Jesus, Joseph is betrayed and falsely accused and arrested. But this did not matter for the Lord was with him. As Jesus would rise from the dead to be seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, so would Joseph be brought out of prison to the right hand of power of Pharaoh.
GENESIS 40
Another commonality exists in chapter 40 between Joseph and Jesus. In verse 4, Joseph becomes the servant of the cupbearer and the baker, who are in prison. He is also their supervisor. Just as Jesus came into the flesh to be a servant to prisoners of sin, so Joseph became the servant of the prisoners around him. It is also very interesting that even in serving the prisoners, both Jesus and Joseph maintained authority over them. This awkward relationship of authority and servitude displays itself as a foreshadowing of the relationship that Jesus would have with His people on earth.
GENESIS 41: THE RESURRECTION
Genesis 41 is the story of Joseph as he was put in charge of Egypt by Pharaoh. It is also a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Joseph had been in prison for over two years. He had lost his status and his wealth because he had been falsely accused of wrongdoing. Jesus was also falsely accused, causing Him to lose much of His following and credibility, and He would eventually be killed because of it. The story could easily end here with Joseph dying in the prison. The story could easily have ended with Jesus body being placed in a tomb. But by the Pharaoh’s grace (subordinate to God’s grace, of course) Joseph is brought up out of the prison, much like Jesus is risen from the grave, and established at the right hand of the Pharaoh. This is a great picture of the resurrection of Christ who, after suffering death, was raised to the right hand of the Father and who now sits enthroned in glory. After His resurrection, the people began to run to Him for salvation. Many realize, by grace-given eyes, that if they are to survive, they must do so through Him. The same is true of Joseph in Egypt. Because of the famine, anyone who was going to survive would have to come to Joseph for food. Joseph, in providing food, became a type of the One who was to come, Christ Jesus.
GENESIS 42
There are a few connections to Christ in Genesis 42 that are worth pointing out. Probably most obviously is the fact that the brothers of Joseph did not recognize him. After His resurrection, Jesus’ disciples were walking along the road. Jesus was walking with them, but they did not recognize Him. They had stopped looking for Him because they had given Him up for dead. The same is true in Genesis. Joseph, even though he appeared before his brothers, was not recognized by them because they had given him up for dead. As Christ died and was then given new life, so Joseph died to his brothers and is given new life before them in Egypt.
The second relation to Christ in the chapter is the fact that the grain was not paid for. Because Joseph’s family was starving, the grain they received from Joseph was literally their hope for life. But the grain was not bought with money, nor did Joseph’s brothers deserve the grain (For they had tried to kill Joseph). Truly, it was the agony that Joseph went through before being raised to a position of power in Egypt that bought the grain. It was only by his favor that his brothers were given any grain at all. Just as Joseph did not accept the payment from his brothers for the grain, so too does Jesus deny any form of payment for Salvation. Ephesians declares that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith, and not a matter of works. We don’t deserve salvation for, as Romans says, we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. It is only because of the favor of Christ that we are granted the fruits of Christ’s sufferings.
GENESIS 43
Genesis 43 is a beautiful picture of Joseph reunited with all of his brothers for a feast. From the least to the greatest, they were all there. Joseph’s father was honored before the feast, and the least of the brothers, Benjamin, was given the greatest portion in the feast. This picture is an incredible foreshadowing of the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb as told about in the Revelation of John. After being separated from their brother by sin and deception, Joseph and his brothers are reunited as Joseph has overlooked the sin against him in order to save those he deeply loves and cares about. The same is true of Jesus. After we separated ourselves from Him by sinning against Him and attempting to deceive Him, He has forgiven our transgressions in order that He might save the people He loves, though they are indeed sinners. We are not worthy, and we don’t even recognize Him in His ultimate glory, but He loves and saves us anyway. Like Joseph’s brothers, we could not be any less qualified or deserving, and He, like Joseph, could not be any more gracious to us.
GENESIS 44: THE GOSPEL
In Chapter 44, Judah plays the part of Jesus. Because of sin, Benjamin is to be taken as a slave by Joseph. But Benjamin’s father, Jacob, desperately wants Benjamin back. Because Judah was found to be without sin, he was able to go before Joseph and plead for the life of his brother. He even offered his own life in exchange for Benjamin’s. In doing all this, Judah portrays the gospel message almost exactly. Like Benjamin, we have been put in bondage because of sin. Some sin we commit by choice and some sin is simply passed down from our fathers, tracing all the way back to our first father Adam. Because we have been caught, we cannot beg for ourselves. We have no say in our fate because we have been found to be untrustworthy and deceitful. God, our Father, desperately wants us back. He wants us freed from bondage and to be reunited with Him. So, like Judah, Jesus is our brother who has been found blameless and upright. It is only He who is qualified to fight for our freedom. Like Judah, Jesus offers His life in exchange for ours, taking upon Himself the penalty for our sin, and thus buying our freedom.
GENESIS 45
Joseph can stand his secrecy no longer. He finally reveals himself to his brothers in Genesis 45. Joseph tells his brothers not to lament over his bondage into Egypt because God had raised him to power there in order than many lives might be saved. Similarly, Jesus tells His disciples not to mourn for His death because God would raise Him back to life for the purpose of saving many lives. And just as Jesus tells His disciples to proclaim the good news of His resurrection, so too does Joseph send out his brothers saying, “Now hurry back…and say, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me.’” This is quite similar to Jesus’ words, “All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go…” Jesus used the men who merely stood by and watched His death to proclaim His resurrection. Joseph used the men who merely stood by and effectively killed him to proclaim that he was indeed still alive. Genesis 45 is about Jesus.
GENESIS 46
Genesis 46, though the story in itself is a happy one, is a foreshadowing of the captivity to come upon Israel. It is also a metaphor for all people being captive to sin. As all of Adam’s descendents have been led into sin by Adam, so too were all of Jacob’s descendents led into Egypt by Jacob. And just as the captivity in Egypt sets the stage for Moses to lead the Israelites to freedom, so the sin of man sets the stage for Jesus to deliver them from death. Genesis 46 awaits Jesus.
GENESIS 47
Genesis 47 reaffirms just what God desires of us in order to follow Jesus. The people of Egypt used all of their money buying food to sustain their lives. When their money ran out, they sold their possessions. When their possessions ran out, they sold their land. All this had been sold, but if nothing else was done, they would have still starved. In more modern terms, we can give all of our money at church, we can pray every day, we can serve on every volunteer team, and we can know the Bible thoroughly, but still be on our way to death. What finally secured the bread of life for the Israelites? Their lives! When they gave their lives, their entire beings to Joseph, they were then guaranteed to not be hungry or thirsty. This is the same promise that Jesus gives in Matthew 10:39 when He says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” He also promises elsewhere that those who put their faith in Him would never hunger or thirst, for they would be forever filled with God. Genesis 47 is about following Jesus.
GENESIS 48
In Genesis 48, God continues with the theme of elevating the weaker of people. Though Manasseh is older than Ephraim, Jacob chooses to bless Ephraim as the firstborn. It was expected that Manasseh would grow up to be the stronger, more powerful one of the two brothers. This theme of using the people no one expects is very popular with God. Joseph has risen above his brothers. Gideon will lead Israel to victory. David will rule as king of the nation, and Jesus of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter, will be the Messiah. God begins this trend with Cain and Abel with Christ in mind.
GENESIS 49
In chapter 49, Jacob is giving his final blessing to his sons before he dies. When he goes to bless Judah, Jacob says some interesting things that are very similar to things found in the book of Revelation, referring to Jesus. Jacob calls Judah a “lion cub.” Revelation calls Jesus the “Lion of the tribe of Judah.” Judah was the first in a clan that would lead to Jesus. Judah was the cub, while Jesus was the full-grown lion. Further, Jacob goes on to declare that Judah will have a “scepter” that “will never depart.” Also similar to Revelation, Jacob says of Judah (Jesus), “He will was his clothes in wine, his garments in the blood of grapes.” This parallels Revelation where Jesus, the fulfillment of the tribe of Judah, sits on His horse ready for battle with the hem of His robe dipped in blood. Genesis 49 is a prophesy about Jesus in the tribe of Judah.
GENESIS 50
Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is very symbolic to Jesus’ forgiveness of those who persecuted, tortured, and even killed Him. From the cross, Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Though Joseph’s brothers tried to kill Him, and though Jesus was killed, both men were still able to forgive because they knew that God was doing something even greater through their suffering. “Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.” Though they are the actual words of Joseph, one could very easily see Christ saying something very similar.
