Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors: Reading an Old Story in a New Way

by Dr. Voddie T. Baucham Jr.

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2013

Overview

Joseph and the coat of many colors. It’s a classic story with all the right elements: sibling rivalry, bitter betrayal, unexpected power, and ultimate forgiveness. But what if we’ve missed the real story behind the story? More than just the account of one man’s life, Voddie Baucham Jr. reveals how the story of Joseph is a key moment in the storyline of the Bible. Demonstrating God’s unwavering commitment to his people, Joseph’s life fits into God’s original plan to save the world through a promised Messiah: Jesus Christ. With fresh and engaging insights into the biblical text, Baucham examines Joseph’s life in light of the gospel, helping readers grasp the history-altering significance of this amazing story.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Joseph’s journey from Potiphar to prison is a reminder that God does not balance the scales in the here-and-now. He certainly doesn’t always tilt them in our individual favor. He does, however, work all things according to the counsel of his perfect, immutable will, and he uses frowning providences to accomplish his redeeming work. Therein lies our hope. Thus, we can say with Job, ‘Though he slay me, I will hope in him’ (Job 13:15).” (source)

“His story, like every story in the Bible, is part of the broader redemptive narrative designed to cause us to recognize the glory of our great God.” (source)

“First, if we mistake indicatives for imperatives, we will attempt to work for that which we can never accomplish” (source)

“This story, like the rest of the Bible, is all about sin and redemption.” (source)

“This does mean we read the story of Joseph in light of Christ” (source)

Praise for Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors

“Here is a popular-level reading of the life of Joseph as it is found in Genesis—an approach that reads the narrative both within the framework of Genesis and within the framework of the entire Bible. It avoids mere moralism, but does not overlook the morals implicit in the story; it avoids finding Jesus hiding behind every verse in some earnest but skewed and uncontrolled appeal to typology, yet it shows how the narrative prepares the way for Jesus. In many ways these chapters foster quiet, patient, faithful Bible reading, while driving readers toward the gospel.”
—D. A. Carson, Cofounder and Theologian-at-Large, The Gospel Coalition

“Voddie Baucham has thrown a spanner in the works of those writers and preachers who see little more in the biblical narratives than unrelated moral and spiritual lessons that are ingeniously applied directly to us. By identifying vital theological dimensions that unite the whole Joseph story within Genesis, he steers us towards the christological significance of this much loved, and much misapplied, account of the sons of Jacob.”
—Graeme Goldsworthy, Former Lecturer in Old Testament, Biblical Theology, and Hermeneutics, Moore Theological College

“During the final days with his followers, Jesus made an astonishing statement. He said, in essence, that he was the subject of all the Old Testament stories, laws, and prophecies. Following the lead of our infallible interpreter, Voddie Baucham has taken the well-worn story of Joseph and consistently drawn a portrait of our Savior through it. With its meticulous care, warm affections, and deep theological acumen, this book will introduce you to the story of Jacob’s son, Joseph, but also to the more important story of Joseph’s Savior, the Lord Jesus. I love the thought of using this book in a Sunday school class or for family or personal devotions. Seriously, buy it.”
—Elyse Fitzpatrick, coauthor, Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

“You may have heard the story many times, but perhaps not quite as you will in this book. Voddie Baucham displays the brilliant colors of the gospel with uncommon richness.”
—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“The story of Joseph is one of the most intriguing and instructive found in all the Old Testament. Deception, betrayal, deprivation, and injustice, as well as mercy, forgiveness, providence, and love are all prominently displayed in its telling. Undergirding, permeating, and guiding the events of Joseph’s life, however, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. With careful exegesis, theological precision, and pastoral sensitivity, Baucham explains Joseph’s story with a freshness that highlights the glorious grace of God in the gospel.”
—Thomas Ascol, Executive Director, Founders Ministries; Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Cape Coral, Florida

“Voddie’s emphasis on redemptive history seen in the life of Joseph helps shift our eyes from a focus on Joseph and the events in his life alone to the greater reality—the gospel on display through his life.”
—Sherrill Lanier, Women’s Ministry Advisor for Christian Education and Publications, PCA

Product Details

• Title : Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors: Reading an Old Story in a New Way
• Author: Baucham Jr., Voddie
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2013
• ISBN: 9781433523861

About Dr. Voddie T. Baucham Jr.

Voddie Baucham Jr. (DMin, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the seminary at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. The author of a number of books, including Family Driven Faith, The Ever-Loving Truth, and Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors, Baucham is also a pastor, church planter, and conference speaker.