The divinely inspired writer of Genesis (many believe this to be Moses) gives Joseph more time in Genesis than he does any other character—a striking fact given the significance of Genesis’s other main characters: Adam, Noah, and the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This prominence is even more striking considering the apparent insignificance of Joseph in the rest of Scripture.
What then do we make of the Joseph story? Why is it so prominent in Genesis?
Many Christians fail to notice how Joseph’s story contributes to the Genesis narrative and to redemptive history in general. God’s sovereignty is a major theme in Genesis 37-50, and Joseph himself intends for us to interpret his life in light of God’s providence (Genesis 45). God’s sovereignty figures largely in the Joseph story because God wants us to see how he puts himself in impossible situations and yet finds a way to keep his covenant promises. Joseph highlights how God’s providence secures God’s promises. In this light, we can see how Joseph uniquely contributes to the Bible’s opening book.
Genesis records a series of reoccurring threats that endanger the survival and purity of the covenant line. In chapters 37–50, all the threats converge, creating an impossibly dire situation for Jacob and his children:
- Family division and violence, reminiscent of Cain and Abel, threaten the seed’s survival. (Genesis 37; Genesis 4)
- Unrighteousness and intermarriage with foreign nations threaten the seed’s purity. (Genesis 38; Genesis 12:10-20)
- A severe famine endangers the entire covenant line. (Genesis 42:1-2; Genesis 3:17-19; Genesis 12:10; Genesis 26:1)
Yet God uses Joseph to resolve each of these recurring problems in Abraham’s family:
- Instead of exacting revenge, Joseph reconciles with his brothers and restores family unity by extending forgiveness (Genesis 45:1-15).
- Joseph settles his family in Goshen, shielding them from foreign cultural influence. Safeguarded by the Egyptians’ prejudices (Genesis 46:33-34), Israel develops as a nation without dangers posed by intermarriage with foreign peoples.
- Joseph preserves his family (and the world) amid severe famine through wisdom and administrative genius (Genesis 41:25-35; 47:13-26)
Through Joseph, God is reversing the curse—unraveling violence through forgiveness, unrighteousness through righteousness, and hunger through wisdom. And all of this foreshadows the work that Christ will do.