Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday evening, November 02, 2003, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. 

JESUS AND JOSEPH THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THEM

By Michael D. O’Neal                                        Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church                                        Albany, Georgia

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Scripture Reading: Genesis 37:1-36

Text: Genesis 37:18

Genesis 37:18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

Introduction: As I’ve said before, probably the greatest PERSONAL type, or prophetic picture, of our Lord, in that so MANY of the events and characteristics of his life were prophetically similar to those of our own Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, was Joseph, the son of Jacob. Tonight we are going to look at the CONSPIRACY against Joseph, but we are going to be looking at this book, written by Moses, and endeavoring to find our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for He said:

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

and again in that chapter:

John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

It may be that the Lord showed the comparison between the conspiracy against Joseph and that against Himself when He met with two of His disciples after the resurrection,

Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Tonight I want to look at a few characteristics of the conspiracy against Joseph and see once again how that the writings of Moses not only tell a factual history, but also give a typical prophecy of our Lord who was to come!

First notice,

I. THE PROBLEM

Genesis 37:3-4 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Genesis 37:8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

He was loved by his father, but he was hated by his brethren. They hated:

A. His preference

B. His purity

C. His prophecies

II. THE PIT

Genesis 37:19-24

They took his coat while he was in the pit, like the soldiers too the garments of Jesus while He was on the cross.

A. There was a decision to slay Him before putting him in the pit
1. There were efforts to kill Jesus Christ before He went to Calvary.

B. There was a desire to rescue Him from the pit
1. Pilate and fearful disciples did not want Jesus to be crucified.

C. There was a deliverance from the pit
1. They lifted Joseph out.
2. God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

III. THE PRICE

Genesis 37:25-28

What was Joseph’s life worth?

A. It was the price of a servant
1. Christ died as the suffering servant of God.

B. It was the price of sin
1. Not the sin of Joseph, but of his accusers.
2. Christ died not for His own sin, but for the sin of His accusers.

C. It was the price of salvation
1. The betrayal of Joseph was instrumental in providing future salvation for his brethren during the coming famine.
2. Christ’s death provided redemption for us.

IV. THE PRETENSE

Genesis 37:29-33

False witnesses lied about Jesus. There are many false witnesses (such as the Jehovah’s False Witnesses) today.

A. They lied about the danger
1. The danger was not some evil beast, but some evil brethren!

B. They lied about the death
1. The lie of the “swoon theory” about Jesus

C. They lied about the deliverance
1. They brought him out of the pit, but said that Joseph was devoured.
2. They were paid for lying (sold him). The soldiers were paid to say the disciples stole the body of Jesus.
3. There are paid liars today – teachers in seminaries and colleges who deny the doctrines of Christ.