Genesis 39:23
The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Today’s Reading: Genesis 39:1-23 and 2 Timothy 4:6-8
So Joseph is now a slave in Egypt. Let’s jump right into the parallels between Joseph and Jesus in this period of Joseph’s life:
- Joseph became a servant as Jesus did (Phil 2:7)
- Joseph was tempted but did not sin (Heb 4:15)
- Joseph was falsely accused (Matt 26:59-60)
- Joseph attempted no defense (Isa 53:7)
Similar to the Pharisee’s who false accused Jesus and crucified him, Joseph was imprisoned on false charges from Potiphar’s wife. So we could make a parallel of Potiphar’s wife to the Pharisees. We know the Pharisees hated Jesus because he was a threat to their power. People were following Jesus and beginning to question the authority and truth of the Pharisees. In order to save their positions, they had to get rid of Jesus.
I wonder if the motivation was the same for Potiphar’s wife. Was she jealous of the praise that Joseph was receiving from her husband? Scripture tells us that Joseph was “well-built and handsome.” We rarely get such physical descriptions of people in the Bible. But the text seems to insinuate that Potiphar’s wife was just attracted to him because she “took notice of him.” But maybe there was more to it than that? Maybe not. Just interesting to think about.
We also get a physical description of Jesus. Isaiah 53:2b tells us that “he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” So quite the opposite appearance of Joseph. Jesus was ordinary – not well-built or handsome. Yet people were so attracted to him!
I think there’s one other parallel in this chapter between Joseph and Jesus. The Lord was with them. In verse 2 and verse 23 we read that “the Lord was with Joseph.” And because of that “he prospered” and the Lord “gave him success in whatever he did.” Now this is not support for the prosperity gospel. Just because God is with you doesn’t mean you will find success in everything you do. However, in Joseph’s case God wanted him to prosper. But in Jesus’s case, God wanted him crucified. Following God’s will doesn’t guarantee a prosperous outcome.
However, following God’s will does guarantee God’s favor and eternity with Him. As Paul tells Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim 4:7-8) So even when the world seems against us and falsely accuses, stand firm and fight the good fight. Eternity is worth it!
Christ in the Old Testament 
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