“Judah and Joseph: A Tale of Two Brothers”

(Gen. 49:8-12, 22-26)

  1. Similarity to Christ in type
    a. What did the two brothers have in common?
    i. Both serve as types of Christ
    b. How does Judah foreshadow Christ?
    i. Ancestor of Jesus
    ii. Had a Canaanite (Gentile) bride
    iii. Sent by his father into Egypt to rescue Simeon
    iv. Took the place of his brother
    c. How does Joseph foreshadow Christ?
    i. Father’s beloved son
    ii. Hated and rejected by his brethren
    iii. Had an Egyptian (Gentile) bride
    iv. Saved the afflicted nations by giving them bread
    v. After testing them, Joseph revealed himself to his brethren and exalted them
    d. What did the two brothers not have in common?
    i. Only one brother was commended for his obedience to God.
  2. Similarity to Christ in character
    a. Which brother was an example of godliness?
    i. Judah was worldly and gave in to temptation
    ii. Joseph was godly and resisted temptation
    b. Why, then, did God pick Judah to be Christ’s ancestor?
    i. Judah illustrates God’s grace to man
    ii. Joseph illustrates man’s faithfulness to God
  3. Similarity to Christians in type
    a. Judah: carnal believer
    b. Joseph: spiritual believer
    c. Which brother was blessed more during his own lifetime?
    i. Joseph had authority over Judah while they both lived.
    ii. After the brothers died, the descendents of Joseph became the major power in northern Israel (i.e. Ephraim and Manasseh), while Judah’s offspring reigned in the south.
    d. How does this parallel the Christian experience?
    i. While all believers, spiritual and carnal, will enjoy the blessing of heaven after they die, only spiritual believers will experience prosperity in the here and now
  4. Why be like Joseph and not Judah?
    a. Even if there was no other blessing left to us but the eternal life we already possess, we have all the motivation we need to follow Jesus.
  5. Why do we forget Christ, our first love?
    a. We allow ourselves to get distracted and we don’t give ourselves the constant reminders we need to stay focused.
    b. It is hard enough to stay on track as it is, but we have an Enemy who is doing his best to derail us!
    c. How do we get our minds back on track? Read Prov. 16:3.
    i. We submerge our minds in Holy Scripture
    ii. We set our hearts to the Lord’s work
    iii. We surround ourselves with Christ’s people

Author: James Buddy Smith
Ark of Hope
Jasper, Georgia