A Biblical Theology of Mission (The Witness of Joseph – Genesis 39:8,9; 40:8; 41:15,16,28-32)

Missions theology
/ By Randall Johnson

Joseph, the son of Jacob, is introduced to a new culture and nation when he is sold as a slave in Egypt. He gives testimony to God in Potiphar’s house while a slave there, gives testimony to his fellow prisoners when he is in jail, and he gives testimony to God before Pharaoh.

⁸But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:8,9)

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:8)

¹⁵Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” ¹⁶“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Genesis 41:15,16)

²⁸“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, ³⁰but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. ³¹The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. ³²The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon. (Genesis 41:28-32)

Joseph does not give testimony to Yahweh, per se, but to God, yet it is obvious that his connection to and faith in God stands out from that of the Egyptians. And he only gives testimony to one God, the God, it seems, who is the God of all human beings.

He testifies to the moral character of God by asserting he cannot commit sexual immorality and so sin against God.
He testifies to the supreme knowledge of God and His willingness to reveal it to humans when he interprets the dreams of his fellow prisoners and to Pharaoh.
He testifies to the sovereign determination of events by God who has revealed the dream to Pharaoh.

God put Joseph in this situation for the purpose of giving witness to who God is, to reach those who didn’t know God, His concern for the world evident in so doing.

About the Author Randall Johnson

A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.

follow me on: