We often read the Old Testament story of Joseph with a “Hollywood epic” perspective: betrayal leading to redemption and success. But Pastor Voddie Baucham says we may be missing the real story. He joins us to talk about his new book Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors: Reading an Old Story in a New Way.
The story of the young dreamer who was loved and favored by his father is well known by many Christians. But Voddie points out that when we read the story side by side with the gospels, we see patterns and foreshadowing that we would otherwise miss. He points out a number of lessons:
• God is not less present with us when bad things happen
• Naming our children is an opportunity to remember God’s promises. “It’s a testimony… it says something about what we value. What we call them needs to be strategic in that it reminds them about the covenant community that we belong to, that we are calling them to belong to.. It connects us to biblical truth and it testifies to the world around us what we believe.”
• We can choose to define ourselves, not by the pains of our past, but by the covenant promises of God
• God preserves life
• God’s power and control extends to cover the suffering and sin of His people. “Joseph believed in the sovereignty of God and the providence of God and he basically said, “God put me in the pit, God put me here.. and He did it all so I could save you.’ It’s a wonderful picture of forgiveness.”
Voddie calls us to “look at the Old Testament as Christians Scripture” and see Christ crucified throughout the entire Bible. We need to understand where the story of Joseph fits – this is the story of Jacob’s youngest son. We need to recognize that Joseph fits within the narrative of Jacob, who is called Israel.
Highlight – Joseph & the gospel
Image: Flickr
