The Favored Son

Gen 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 

Gen 37:4  But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. 

I suppose most children are taught in Sunday School that Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son so Jacob gave him a really pretty coat to wear and his brothers were jealous and so eventually sold him into slavery.  I remember being left with the idea that Jacob just played favorites and no wonder Joseph’s brothers were jealous.  To be sure Jacob had a history of favoritism, especially with his wives and it did cause problems.  But I think there is more to this account than simple favoritism.  This is easier to understand once we see that Joseph is a type of Christ.

As it turns out, Rueben had slept with one of his father’s wives and so lost the inheritance and the blessing of the Messiah coming through his line.  We will learn later that Joseph was given the position of the firstborn (the greater material inheritance) and Judah received the Messianic inheritance (Christ is born through his line). 

This being understood Joseph’s coat is better translated a long tunic as it is in 2Sa 13:18  Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her.  In other words it was a coat a person of authority would wear not the common laborer.  Joseph took the leadership of his father’s herds and so was the overseer of his brothers, not so much because of favoritism, although that was involved, but also because of his outstanding character as opposed to the deplorable moral state of his brothers.  This is probably one reason why the account of the brothers at Succoth, ch. 34 and the account of Judah and Tamar in ch. 38 are recorded for us.  Jacob’s favor is justified.

Once we put all this together the similarities between Joseph and Jesus are amazing to see.  Here we have a son who has a special relationship with his father.  He is given dreams that he relates to his brothers that someday they will bow the knee to him.  His brothers hate him for the special relationship with his father and for his exalted position seen in his dreams that he unashamedly tells them about.  

In Rueben we have the firstborn brother who forfeited the right to rule his father’s inheritance because he took for himself what belonged to his father alone.  Another son comes along who honors his father as Rueben was supposed to and is given charge over his brothers.  They reject his position and sell him into slavery for a few pieces of silver.  But in their rejection Joseph is exalted to the right hand of Pharaoh and eventually he becomes the means of their salvation from starving to death.

From there it is easy to see Adam as the firstborn man who took for himself the glory he was supposed to give to his Heavenly Father.  Another “Son” down the line is born whose character is unquestioned and in keeping the Law perfectly is given authority over all things.  He comes unto his own and his own do not receive him but instead betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver and he is crucified.  But it is in that very act of rejection that he is exalted to a position in which he is the very Savior we need. 

Not only is this a marvelous picture of the gospel but it is also an undeniable proof of the inspiration of Scripture and in this case of the book of Genesis.  This book has always been under attack by those that hate God because it establishes us as his creatures and thus accountable to him.  They can make fun of the six day creation and the universal flood of Noah but this account of Joseph teaches us that we had better take this book seriously as inspired by God; not just some of it but all of it.  If we can’t trust all of the Bible why would we trust any of it?  How could Jacob and his sons live this out in such a way that points clearly to the person and work of Christ unless God was in control of all things and could communicated it clearly to Moses to write it down for us?  If the Bible can’t accurately tell us what happened at the beginning by God who was the only One there, how can God relate any truth to us?

The Bible is a marvelous book and it is self-authenticating as the inspired Word from God.  Woe be to those who ignore it and so miss Christ.