Living in the Light of Inextinguishable Hope: The Gospel According to Joseph

Gospel According to the Old Testament

by Iain M. Duguid, Matthew P. Harmon

Learn how the story of Joseph prefigures the gospel, testifying to God's electing grace and showing how he redeems and restores broken and dysfunctional sinners to accomplish his purposes.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies, Old Testament

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2013

About the author

married to Barbara R. Duguid

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to read but deep theologically. I learned so much thru this book about the OT. I have never read or noticed so much about the story of Joseph. I was in awe of God’s plans of salvation and his sovereign work. The book also has application questions that I was able to use to apply it to myself. I think I understand the biblical story a little more, see my sin more clearly, and love God more after reading this.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only put books on Goodreads that I read all the way thorough, so I don’t put many Bible commentaries on here. Usually when I buy a commentary I’m only reading the parts of it I need for whatever I’m teaching.

But I read this one all the way through, and it’s immensely more readable than most commentaries. Duguid is becoming one of my favorite OT commentators. I don’t always agree with everything he says, but he opens the texts up in a way that illuminate the whole Bible. It’s a scholarly level of insight mixed with excellent narrative. I’ve read the Joseph story many, many times, but reading it with this book is like reading it for the first time.

Excellent book.

Notes:
- Another excellent OT commentator that writes in a similar way, if you are interested, is Dale Ralph Davis.
- While reading this I was also reading several other commentaries on the book of Genesis. Two of them were excellent, if a little more dry than this one. I highly recommend them - Creation and Blessing by Allen Ross, and The Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis 16-50.

[Ken Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third book by Iain Duguid in this series on The Gospel According to the Old Testament was well worth it. There are so many lessons to be found in the story of Joseph, and Duguid is able to make them seem incredibly relevant to our everyday lives. I especially appreciated his emphasis on how a supremely wise and loving God is able to use both our own sins and the sins of others committed against us to accomplish His purposes. In other words, our or others' failures don't determine the outcomes of our lives, but only God does, regardless of what may appear to get in the way. This is a comforting conviction when I consider how many ways my sins have surely affected others, and when I remember that God is at the center of my circumstances.

[Stephen Hoogerhyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of Duguid's books in The Gospel According to the Old Testament series that I have read, and it is just as good as his first two (one on Abraham, one on Isaac and Jacob). He covers Genesis 37-50, concentrating not only on Joseph but also on his brothers, and on Jacob as well. As he points out, the story is not just about Joseph, not even just about Joseph and his brothers. It is part of "the story about God's grand plan for Israel and what he is up to in the lives of his people as a whole."

Duguid does a superb job of pointing out the sin in Joseph as well as the sin in his brothers and father. He shows how God not only chastens us but also how he can and does use even our sin to accomplish his purposes in our lives and the lives of others. He constantly points out how God is continuing to bring to fruition his promises to Abraham to make him a great nation and to bless all nations through him. As with Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and his brothers do not see these promises come to full fruition, but in their lives they see the beginnings of God's plan in action. We see, for example, that through Joseph blessing is not only brought to his family but also to the Egyptians and to the world at large in Joseph's wise provision of food during a famine.

Duguid doesn't flinch in dealing with the unpleasant chapter about Judah and Tamar, and properly shows how God used even the great sinfulness of that entire situation to further his purposes, and to include Tamar in the line from which the Messiah would come. He also does an excellent job of reminding us that the Bible doesn't present Joseph as some hero whom we should model, that the purpose is not to encourage us to ask in times of temptation, what would Joseph do? "Its purpose is to encourage you to ponder what Jesus has done in your place."

As with his previous books, I greatly appreciate Duguid's humility and open admission of his own struggles with sin, and how he points us in every chapter to Jesus and his work on our behalf. This is truly an excellent book, once which I highly recommend.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much more to the story of Joseph than I originally saw. So much of myself that I see in this story. The author was very thorough in his exegesis of the passages. Occasionally I thought his vision was a little far-reaching; however, it did not affect my learning from this book at all. I was greatly encouraged that hope is inextinguishable, even when I do not sense hope in my life. My God offers hope that this world can not. Even when the wait seems interminable, it isn't. And if that hope does not come to fruition in this lifetime, there is the hope of heaven where all that is wrong will be made right.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

More space in Genesis is given to Joseph than to Jacob, Noah, or Abraham. This doesn’t mean Joseph is more important than the others, but it does indicate there is something about his story meriting closer attention. Duguid and Harmon trace the familiar paths of Joseph and his family through their adversity and slow maturity showing that above it all stands a sovereign God who uses all things—even evil—to bring about His good purposes.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you reading the Genesis narrative about the life of Joseph in the Bible specifically in the book of Genesis 37-Genesis 50? Are you looking for a good devotional commentary that focused on the literary details on these passages that also having an awareness of the unfolding of redemptive history? I was tremendously blessed by this book. This would be a great resource for both pastors, teachers and general Christian Bible readers.
This work is third and final commentary on the book of Exodus that is a part of the commentary series titled “The Gospel According to the Old Testament” published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing. I originally started out this series with the commentary on Esther and the book of Nahum and enjoyed the contributors’ observation of Biblical passages with an eye for things like literary device, word play, a big picture perspective of biblical theology and relevant use of background information, etc. Then this year I read the series’ commentary on the Genesis narrative of Abraham’s life written by the same author Iain Duguid of this present book. Duguid is an Old Testament professor from Westminster Theological Seminary.
This volume consists of fourteen chapters. Each chapter correspond roughly to the last fourteen chapters of the book of Genesis. I found this commentary insightful. In particular it helped me with some of the passages that was more difficult to figure out what’s going on. An example of that is the author’s excellent treatment of Genesis 38 with Judah’s sins and that of his sons. It’s a good example of how redemptive history and contextual preaching matters! I also through this book learned that in Genesis 37 when Joseph went to give his report to his father about his brothers the word use for “ bad report” should be translated from the Hebrew as lies. That makes understand more why his brothers were so upset with him.
Once more I found this commentary helpful. I give it a 5 out of 5.

[Laurent Dv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Des méditations très encourageantes sur la partie de Genèse sur Joseph (Genèse 37 à 50). On apprend que Dieu est souverain dans ses plans, que rien ne peut stopper son plan de salut pour l'humanité et pour restaurer son peuple divisé (ici les frères de Joseph vs Joseph vs Jacob). Il y a constamment un renvoi vers l'œuvre de Christ, des préfigurations de Christ, quelques remarques sur le contexte de l'époque et des applications très encourageantes ! Le seul défaut, c'est peut-être le manque de recul, cad expliquer ce que chaque histoire apporte à la grande histoire de la Bible en entier, le lien à chaque fois avec la première promesse de Dieu aux hommes (Ge 3.15), bref expliquer comment Genèse suit un seul et unique fil conducteur, ça je pense que Duguid aurait pu plus en parler.

[Vikki-Booksie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as the account of Jacobs sons is one of my favourites, and seeing the parallels between Joseph and Judah. I found this easy to read and informative, I did find some of the authors points a little speculative and would sooner stick to what the scripture says. But other than that a helpful read with lots of application examples for my own walk.

[adan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

It is a good book pertaining the life of Jacob and Joseph. Nevertheless the author introduces somewhat of Calvinist ideas and reformed theology concepts that are out of place. Removing that, it is a great look at Joseph’s life and purpose.

[Kelton Zacharias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful exposition and application of the final chapters of Genesis, always clear on the gospel.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series. Biblical, practical, and gospel-centered.

[Kara Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so so so good!!! Highly recommend!

[Kevin Burrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book... pastoral, devotional, Gospel-centric.

[Roger Leonhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part commentary - part inspirational, this book takes us through the life of Joseph. As the subtitle says, this is the Gospel according to Joseph.

This is the first book in the “The Gospel According to The Old Testament” series that I have read. The series’ main goal is to show how the whole bible was given to us for one purpose - God wanted us to hear the good news of what He has done for man. The Old Testament points to Christ and what He did in the cross, resurrection, and ascension. What was shadow in the Old becomes the reality in the New.

Here, Duguid takes us through the life of Joseph and shows us it's relation to Christ and the Christian life. Most think of Joseph as almost perfect, but the author shows us that there were things he did wrong that caused many of his troubles, especially in his early life.

We can take comfort that we do not have to be perfect for God to work in our situation. We see the struggles Joseph went through and how God used those hard times to accomplish His purposes. We see God working through impossible situations.

A look at the Chapter headings gives an understanding of the theme of the book:

1. Hope for Dysfunctional Families (Genesis 37:1–11)
2. Shattered Dreams (Genesis 37:12–36)7
3. A Breakthrough for Victims and Sinners (Genesis 38)
4. God’s Wonderful Plan (Genesis 39)
5. When Hope Gets Put on Hold (Genesis 40)
6. Becoming Fruitful in the Land of Your Affliction (Genesis 41)
7. Reunion or Reconciliation? (Genesis 42)
8. Making Peace (Genesis 43)
9. Reconciled at Last (Genesis 44:1–45:15)
10. From Famine to Fortune (Genesis 45:16–46:27)
11. Better Than We Deserve (Genesis 46:28–47:31)
12. Famous Last Words (Genesis 47:28–48:22)
13. Mixed Blessings (Genesis 49:1–28)
14. Dead and Buried? (Genesis 49:29–50:26)

Throughout the book, Duguid gives us hope in our own lives that the situations we struggle with are being used by God for our good. What we see as a setback, God is using to progress our lives to the ultimate goal He has in mind.

I enjoyed this book. It is written in an easy-to-read style and contains some good information.

I recommend it and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book, free of charge, from P&R Publishing Company and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another solid treatment of the patriarchs by Iain Duguid. LLIH follows the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). What marks this study, as with his studies of Abraham and Jacob, is a scholarly sensitivity to the biblical text (word choice, allusion, cultural context), solid scripture interpretation, meaningful application, and always always a Christ-centered reading of Scripture (meaning that he connects the theme of each passage to the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ).

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is a lay-level book, but pastors and teachers will benefits immensely from it, too.