Joseph and the Famine

Story:  Joseph and the Famine

Passage: Genesis 47:13-31

Characters: Joseph, Jacob, their family 

Summary:  The famine got very severe even in Egypt.  People spent all their money, so Joseph asked for their livestock.  When they ran out of livestock, they sold their land and themselves to Joseph in exchange for food.  Joseph then established an annual national tax of 20% of the people’s crops.  This tax stayed in effect even after the famine.  Jacob settled in Goshen and his family prospered.  Jacob neared his death and he made Joseph promise to bury him in the promised land.  Joseph promised that he would not let his father be buried in Egypt. 

Notes:  This is an interesting story.  It basically shows the way the local government thrived during a crisis.  We have seen it in movies and in real life.  Central government generally gains power and wealth during a major crisis, and this story is no different.  While the country suffered at the hands of this incredible famine, Pharaoh gained all of the money, livestock, and land in Egypt.  Eventually, people could not afford food at all so Joseph made the price a proportion of their harvest.  If the people gave Pharaoh one fifth of their crops, they could have food.  This tax remained in effect after the famine had ended.  Apparently Pharaoh liked the idea of a tax!  The passage says that Jacob’s family grew and multiplied.  If you do the math, this one family was over two million people in 400 years.  This qualifies as growing and multiplying quickly in my mind!  Jacob knew he was dying and he also understood that Egypt was not his home.  I think he had a grasp on the fact that the world is not his home period, but at the same time, he knew he had been promised the land of Canaan.  His last request shows his faith in God.  Even though they were in a very comfortable place in Egypt, Jacob believed that God would indeed lead them back to the promised land and he was willing to avoid burial until it happened. 

Questions:  Did Jacob’s family get free food?  I’m assuming Pharaoh was doing alright during this famine.  Is that true?  Did the people willingly accept Joseph’s terms? 

Lessons:  This world is not our home.  We need to remind ourselves of that and trust that God will lead us to our real home eventually.  We should not get to rooted to this Earth.  

Jacob's Family Settles in Goshen

Story:  Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen

Passage: Genesis 47:1-12

Characters: Joseph, Pharaoh, Jacob, five of Joseph’s brothers 

Summary:  Joseph told Pharaoh that his family and their flocks had arrived.  Joseph picked five brothers to appear before Pharaoh and they told him they were shepherds and asked to live in Goshen.  Pharaoh gave them permission and asked them to watch his flocks too.  Jacob came before Pharaoh and blessed him.  Joseph helped his family settle into Goshen and he provided them with food. 

Notes:  I don’t have too many notes for this passage.  I think it is cool that Pharaoh gave Joseph’s family the best of the land and even trusted them with his own livestock.  He based th is decision completely on Joseph’s devotion.  If Joseph had lost his focus at any point over the twenty years he was in slavery, this favor might not have been possible.  It is also very significant that Pharaoh allowed Jacob to bless him.  In Egypt, Pharaoh was a god.  For a god to allow a man to bless him is very significant and it shows how affected Pharaoh was by Joseph’s example.  Jacob knew he wasn’t in his final home.  His life was a pilgrimage.  It was a short and evil one as well according to him.  I find his answer weird.  If someone asked me my age, I would not say my life has been short and evil and I don’t stack up to my fathers’ example.  Jacob had some perspective on life at this point.  Joseph’s family settled in Goshen, which apparently had a landscape which could support livestock.  They depended on Joseph for food and he wisely allotted food to them.     

Questions:  Which five brothers did Joseph present to Pharaoh?  Why did Jacob respond to Pharaoh like he did?  Why did Pharaoh allow Jacob to bless him?  What was the land of Goshen like? 

Lessons:  Joseph’s obedience in the hard times was all that allowed these good times to occur.  When we focus on our present troubles and lose sight of the future, we end up crippling ourselves in the future.  This story in general is a great example of how we are supposed to keep our focus on God no matter what our external circumstances are!

Jacob and Joseph Reunited

Story:  Jacob and Joseph Reunited

Passage: Genesis 46:28-34

Characters:  Joseph, Jacob, Joseph’s whole family

Summary:  Jacob sent Judah ahead of them to Joseph.  Joseph met Jacob in Goshen.  He wept on his neck for a long time.  Israel was ready to die in peace.  Joseph told his family to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds so that Pharaoh would let them stay in Goshen since shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians.

Notes:   It is interesting that Judah led the way for Israel to enter Egypt.  Judah appears to have taken his place as the one in the Messianic line in the family.  The meeting between Joseph and Jacob was emotional.  Jacob’s whole attitude was transformed.  He was ready to die in peace for he knew Joseph was alive.  Jacob had spent twenty years grieving the loss of his son.  Now that he is face to face with the son he thought was dead, he is at peace again.  God had formed the Egyptian culture in such a way that the Israelites could develop and grow untainted by the culture of sin around them.  Ironically, He accomplished this throught he Egyptians’ pagan religion which deemed sheep as unclean.  It is ironic that while the shepherd Israelites were unable to obey God’s commands to not mix with the sinful cultures of the Canaanites around them, the Egyptians were able to follow their convictions and not mix with the shepherds.  God was preparing an entire culture for the Israelites. 

Questions:  Did Jacob regain his trust in God at this point?  Why did the Egyptians find sheep unclean?  What emotions went through Joseph when he saw his father?  How much stronger were they than when he saw his brothers, specifically Benjamin? 

Lessons:  We can learn a lot about trusting God through this story.  Jacob’s family was dealing with a famine and now they were living in a foreign country, but God was behind it the whole time.  They had no idea what a huge role this played in God’s redemptive plan for the world.  I think sometimes we have no idea how our circumstances fit into God’s plan.  Sometimes our misfortunes are not misfortunes at all in the big picture.  If we take our focus off of ourselves and instead focus on God like Joseph did, we can be used to our full capacity for God.  If we focus on our circumstances like Jacob did, we are almost useless.    

Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt

Story:  Joseph Brings His Family to Egypt

Passage: Genesis 46:1-27

Characters:  Joseph, Joseph’s whole family

Summary:  Jacob took his family and traveled to Beersheba where he offered sacrifices to God.  God appeared to him in a dream and told him to not be afraid to go to Egypt for God would turn him into a great nation there.  He also heard he would die with Joseph.  So Jacob took his family and went to Egypt.  The passage then lists all seventy of Jacob’s descendants who moved to Egypt.    

Notes:  Jacob was apparently afraid of something considering God had to explain that He was the reason they were going to Egypt.  He probably knew his father and grandfather had some history in Egypt and it wasn’t good.  Both Abraham and Isaac had sacrificed to God in Beersheba.  In fact, Jacob was probably using an altar built by Isaac.  God promised to make Jacob into a great nation while in Egypt.  The racial segregation in Egypt along with the ample amount of food there made it a perfect place to grow into a nation set apart for God.  In the list of people who traveled to Egypt, most of the people are sons or grandsons of Jacob.  However, Judah’s son Perez also has his sons listed.  This is significant because Perez is in the line of Jesus.  Asher’s son Beriah also has his sons listed.  Overall, seventy people came to Egypt.  Jacob’s faith is evident in the fact that he brought his entire family to Egypt.  He left no one behind in case something went wrong.  He trusted God and followed Him into Egypt. 

Questions:  Why was Jacob afraid?  How did Jacob’s family perceive Egypt at that time?  Did Jacob believe that Joseph was really alive until God told him?

Lessons:  We can learn from Jacob’s trust and obedience in God.  He felt like God wanted him to move his entire family to Egypt so he packed up and brought all seventy members of his household to Egypt.  If God tells us to do something radical and dramatic, are we willing to obey?  

Joseph Provides for his Brothers and Family

Story:  Joseph Provides for his Brothers and family

Passage: Genesis 45

Characters:  Joseph, Joseph’s whole family

Summary:  Joseph sent his servants away and he revealed himself to his brothers.  He told them that what they meant for harm God had used for good.  Joseph told them to bring Jacob to Egypt so they would not live in poverty.  Pharaoh heard and agreed and sent carts to help bring their possessions back to Egypt.  Jacob did not believe at first, but he was finally convinced when he saw the carts.  He decided to go see Joseph before he died. 

Notes:  Joseph’s emotions show that the tests he had put his brothers through were not the result of cruel intentions.  The brothers did not believe that this man was really Joseph.  When he had convinced them they were terrified.  They had been expecting punishment and suddenly they are with their brother who they thought they had killed.  Imagine their confusion as they realized that their youngest brother who they sold as a slave was now the ruler of Egypt!  Joseph said many times that God sent Joseph to Egypt.  He did not deny his brothers’ sinful part in it though.  He handled their sin in a very wise way.  He did not deny that it happened, but he acknowledged God’s hand in it.  He recognized that he was sent to Egypt for a purpose.  Yes his brothers sinned by selling him into slavery, but God had a purpose for it and in the big picture, Joseph was sent to Egypt by God.  I find it funny that Joseph’s weeping was audible outside of his house.  It was big news in Egypt that Joseph’s family had come to Egypt!  Pharaoh approved and made all of the arrangements to bring the family to live in Egypt.  Joseph told the brothers not to quarrel on their journey.  He knew they were still selfish humans and he urged them to prepare for the temptation to argue and to fight it.  Jacob did not believe Joseph was alive until he heard Joseph’s words and saw the way he had provided for the family.  In the same way, people cannot know Jesus is alive until they hear His words and see the way He has provided for us and changed us.  Jacob finally accepts the truth and determines to see Joseph before he dies.

Questions:  Did Joseph’s servant know that these were Joseph’s brothers until this point?  What was the first thought to go through the brother’s heads when they found out who the man was?  What were Jacob’s emotions as he realized Joseph was indeed alive?  Were the brothers happy, resentful, jealous?  Did they care that Benjamin got more from Joseph?

Lessons:  The shock and awe the brothers must have felt when they learned that Joseph was alive and the ruler of Egypt should be very similar to ours when we realize that Christ is alive and is the ruler of the universe!  Christ was killed in the worst act of sin ever on the earth, but his death was also the ultimate act of good that God did for us.  Likewise, the injustice against Joseph was also a major act of good by God to Israel.  

Joseph Tests His Brothers

Story:  Joseph Tests His Brothers

Passage: Genesis 44

Characters:  Joseph, Joseph’s brothers, Benjamin, Judah

Summary:  Joseph placed their money back in their sacks.  He also placed his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.  He sent his servant to accuse them of stealing the cup.  The punishment was that the culprit would become his servant.  Judah petitioned Joseph explaining that their father would die if Benjamin did not return.  Judah offered himself in place of Benjamin. 

Notes:  Joseph’s actions were not cruel, but rather a test of his brothers and a method to bring them to full repentance.  The servant informed the brothers that Joseph used the cup for divination.  While it is possible that Joseph did use the cup like that since there was no command against it yet, it is also possible that his servant just assumed that Joseph’s wisdom came from divination.  The brothers confidently denied the accusations.  They obviously had a lot of trust for each other.  They said if anyone was found with the cup that person would be put to death and the rest of them would become slaves.  This certainly implies to me that they really trusted each other.  Their spirits would have been good too. They had just partied with the second in command in Egypt the night before and became intoxicated according to the last passage.  Now they had their food and were on their way.  Benjamin was safe and they had Simeon back!  Things were looking good; of course they didn’t steal it right?  The drama was intense as the bags were searched in birth order.  When Benjamin was found guilty, the brothers tore their clothes and went back ot Egypt with him.  The same brothers who watched their father’s favorite son be sold into slavery in Egypt are now actively trying to defend their father’s new favorite son as he is being taken to Egypt as a slave.  The brothers have changed!  Even more change is the fact that they offered themselves to serve as slaves with Benjamin.  They were fairly wealthy men resigning themselves to slavery!  Another interesting note from part of the story is that the brothers see this impending slavery in Egypt as punishment for selling Joseph to slavery in Egypt.  Judah then tells Joseph about their father.  He obviously has a lot of conviction about how his father would take the news of Benjamin’s slavery.  This is also totally different than it was when they told Jacob about Joseph.  They were as blunt as they could be then and almost seemed to enjoy telling him that Joseph was no more.  Judah then offers himself as a substitution for the punishment of Benjamin.  For the first time we see Christ like qualities in Judah who would be in the line of Christ.  This willingness to sacrifice is seen throughout scripture and is evidence of a changed life.  It is obvious that these brothers are indeed changed men!

Questions:  How did Joseph react to this reaction by the brothers?  How did his servant?  What did his servant think of the plan to make the brothers think they were guilty?  At what point did the brothers have their change of heart?

Lessons:  Total repentance makes your life look markedly different than it did before.  The brothers were completely different men.  Joseph put them in a carefully crafted situation that mimicked what they had done to him twenty years earlier.  Their response completely different!  Do our lives show this complete turnaround?  Are our lives totally different than they would be if we were not saved?

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt

Story:  Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt

Passage: Genesis 43

Characters:  Jacob, Judah, Jacob’s sons, Joseph

Summary:  Jacob and Co. ran out of grain.  Jacob tried to send his sons back to Egypt to get more but Judah informed him that the man in Egypt made it clear that they must bring Benjamin.  Jacob did not want to but Judah offered himself in security for Benjamin.  Jacob consented and sent some of the firstfruits of the land with them.  When Joseph saw Benjamin he had the brothers sent to his house.  The brothers stated their case and the steward told them the money they found in their sacks was from God.  Simeon was restored to them and they prepared to eat.  Joseph came home and asked about Jacob.  Then he saw Benjamin and left the room and wept.  The food was served.  Benjamin got five times as much as everyone else even though they were seated in birth order. 

Notes:  Jacob apparently had tried to let the food outlast the famine so his sons would not have to return to Egypt.  He obviously cared far more about Benjamin than he cared about Simeon.  Judah was displaying his first signs of Godliness when he decided to take full responsibility for Benjamin’s safety.  I get the idea that Satan was not aware that Jesus was coming from the line of Judah.  God however knew all along and is obviously still very present in Judah’s life even though he made some mistakes earlier in the story.  The brothers took some of the best fruits of the land.  This is significant since there was a massive famine going on.  They also took double the money with them.  This is very significant.  The word for money and silver are the same.  Since they originally took enough money for ten brothers, they now took enough for twenty men.  Joseph was originally sold by the brothers for twenty pieces of silver.  Now they are bringing him twenty pieces of money.  The brothers probably thought they were going to the man’s house to be killed.  They were freaked out to be sure.  The steward tried to calm their fears by letting them know he had received their money and the money they found came from God.  I find it interesting that the steward calls God the God of their father.  He acknowledges the Hebrew God.  He also tells the truth.  He had received their money, but then he gave it back.  They expected to be treated as criminals, and Joseph had every right to do so, but instead he served them and washed their feet and served them water.  This must have confused the brothers very much!  When Joseph saw Benjamin, he lost his composure.  Benjamin was his only full brother and he had not seen him for over twenty years.  Joseph was a very emotional man from what I can tell, and this encounter was too much for him to handle.  The Egyptians were one of the most racist cultures in history.  They believed they came from the gods and everyone else was inferior.  We see this here when the Egyptians ate separately from the Hebrews and from Joseph.  Joseph, as an Egyptian official, could not eat with his brothers.  However, even with all of his power, he couldn’t eat with the Egyptians either!  God was going to bring Israel to a place where they could live in total isolation from the native inhabitants!  God’s plan was perfect!  The brothers were amazed when they were seated in birth order.  I don’t know how they weren’t suspicious.  For Joseph to get it totally right is almost statistically impossible!  He then served Benjamin more than anyone else.  There are two possible reasons for this.  One is that Joseph was showing favoritism to his only full brother.  The other option is he was testing his brothers.  How would they react to their youngest brother being privileged?  Would they react like they treated Joseph or had they grown?  Joseph was testing them this whole time.  He wanted to know their character before he revealed himself to them. 

Questions:  Was Joseph’s servant a follower of God?  Did any of the brothers start suspecting that this man was Joseph?  Did the fact that he knew their birth order and didn’t sit with the Egyptians not tip them off?  Did Jacob expect to ever see Benjamin again?  Did he care if he saw Simeon?

Lessons:  God was giving the brothers a second chance.  They had mistreated Joseph and He had given them time to grow.  Now Joseph was observing how they would treat Benjamin in a similar circumstance.  Sometimes, God tests us,  lets us grow and then tests us again.  Are we striving to always grow and learn how to walk with the Spirit?  Do we expect to be able to perform better by our own strength?

Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt

Story: Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

Passage: Genesis 42

Characters: Joseph, Simeon, Reuben, Benjamin, the rest of his brothers, Jacob

Summary: Jacob heard there was food in Egypt so he sent all of his sons except Benjamin to get some. They came to Joseph and bowed before him. They didn’t recognize him but he knew who they were. He treated them harshly and accused them of being spies. When they denied it he said they needed to send one man to fetch their youngest brother. He imprisoned them for three days. Then he said only one had to remain in Egypt. The brothers decided they were being punished for killing Joseph. Joseph understood everything they said. Joseph seized Simeon and sent the others on their way. They returned home and found their money was still in their sacks. They told their father what had happened and Jacob was very upset. He said he had lost Joseph and now Simeon and next would be Benjamin. Reuben stepped up and said that he would give up his own two sons if Benjamin was harmed. But Jacob refused to send Benjamin with them.

Notes: The brother’s literally looked at each other questioningly when they were told to go to Egypt. It is apparent they felt considerable guilt when Egypt was mentioned. It had been almost twenty years and they were still living with the guilt of what they had done! We see this also in their reaction to Joseph’s accusations. Jacob was a depressed and pessimistic man. He was unwilling to let Benjamin out of his sight because Joseph had “died” when he left. Now Jacob was overly protective of his favorite remaining son. The brothers bowed down to this Egyptian official. Instantly Joseph remembered his dreams. In trying to keep his dreams from coming true, Joseph’s brothers had actually enabled them to be fulfilled. God used their wickedness to further His own plan. I find it interesting that the brothers said that one was no more. They knew very well Joseph was most likely living a terrible life of slavery, but they had been living with the lie for so long, it might have become real to them. Joseph was not just messing with them. I think he wanted to know if they had changed. He was about to put their character to the test! We actually see throughout this story that Joseph was just a big softie. For example, he quickly changes his terms from imprisoning nine and sending one home to imprisoning one and sending nine home with the food. Joseph told them that he feared God before he named his terms. He wanted them to trust him and prove they were honest. I find it interesting that they automatically assumed that this trouble was the result of an unrelated sin from twenty years earlier. What they did to Joseph was obviously on their minds a lot! Joseph was overcome with emotion at this point and wept. It is obvious he still loved his brothers. I suspect he wanted to reveal himself to them but knew he wasn’t supposed to yet. He took Simeon. I don’t really know why he chose Simeon. Maybe Simeon volunteered? Maybe he was bad at Rock, Papyrus, Knife? I don’t really know. The brothers found the money in their sack and realized that now they looked like spies and thieves! They panicked. I am impressed by Reuben’s offer to give his sons up if Benjamin is harmed. It is obvious that the brothers have grown some. They blamed the money in their sacks on God. The idea of being punished was always on their minds. That must have been a terrible way to live! Jacob wasn’t much better! He said, “All this has come against me”. Jacob’s mindset was that the world was against him. Contrast that with Joseph, who went through some terrible situations, but never lost his focus. Joseph trusted God through the rough times. Jacob on the other hand appears to have lost much of that trust. Jacob also still shows incredible favoritism. The brothers must have been upset that their father would let Simeon rot in an Egyptian prison to keep their youngest brother safe. This inability to move on actually makes me think of Lord of the Rings. The Steward of Gondor could not move on from Boromirs death and let his family and kingdom go to shambles. Jacob was not a great leader, yet God chose his family out of anyone in the world to be His chosen people! This is so encouraging to me! Also in this story, I love the fact that the brothers spoke freely in Hebrew and had no idea that the guy standing with them understood everything they said!

Questions: How did the brothers react to the accusation of being spies? Was Joseph expecting to see his family? Why did Joseph not just reveal himself? Why was Simeon detained? Why was Jacob so stubborn?

Lessons: God can use a bad situation for good. God can just as easily use a messed up person for his will. We need to take comfort in that. Nothing we can do is so bad that God would refuse to want to use us. The more messed up we are, the more evident God is in our lives when we are changed. Another lesson from this passage is the negative results of guilt and grief. Jacob’s sons were messed up emotionally because of the guilt of what they did to their brother. Jacob himself was basically incapacitated because of his grief and his inability to move on. This was twenty years after he lost Joseph! We need to make sure we don’t focus on ourselves in hard times but rather focus on God!

Joseph Rises to Power

Story: Joseph Rises to Power

Passage: Genesis 41:37-57

Characters: Joseph, Pharaoh

Summary: Joseph’s suggestion pleased Pharaoh. Pharaoh saw the Spirit of God was in Joseph. Pharaoh put him in charge of all Egypt. He was second only to Pharaoh. Pharaoh gave him a wife. Joseph was thirty. The seven years of plenty came and Joseph stored up grain until he gave up on counting it. Joseph had two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. The famine came next. The famine was severe in the whole world and people traveled from far away to Egypt to get food.

Notes: It is significant that Pharaoh saw the spirit in Joseph. This is the first time we hear of the Spirit of God being in someone. Joseph had done something miraculous in predicting the dream and the Egyptians knew that it came from God and not Joseph. The meaning of Joseph’s name is not known for sure, but the most likely meaning is “God Speaks and He Lives”. The Egyptians saw that God was behind everything going on. Joseph was suddenly in charge of Egypt! He is now thirty. He was seventeen when he was sold to Egypt. Thirteen years had been spent growing and maturing. God had put him through thirteen terrible years to prepare him for this moment. His character had been built and now God was ready to glorify Himself through Joseph and ultimately to glorify Himself through His redemptive plan. Remember that if Jacob’s family did not come to Egypt, they might have mixed completely with the Canaanites. Joseph’s trials were not just a small but critical part of God’s immediate plan for Egypt, but they were an even smaller but even more critical part of God’s long term plan for humanity. If Joseph had known that he probably would have been overwhelmed. But he kept his focus on God. That is what our job is in God’s plan as well. Our role is to focus on God and obey Him. We don’t know what role we play in His plan, but we don’t need to know. We just have to obey. Anyway, I find it interesting that Joseph married an Egyptian. Then names of Joseph’s sons are telling as well. Manasseh means forgetfulness. He named him this because he had forgotten his hardship and his father’s house. He did not forget his father’s faith though as evidenced by his commitment to God in Egypt. Ephraim means fruitfulness because God had made Joseph fruitful in his affliction. When our life is guided by the spirit, we too can forget what is behind us and bear fruit even in affliction. The fruit of the Spirit should be evident in our lives even during hard times. The names of Joseph’s sons were Hebrew. Even though he was basically the king of Egypt, he still maintained his Hebrew roots and worshipped the true God. The famine came and the whole Earth benefitted from his obedience. This is amazing to me! His obedience affected the entire Earth. There is some powerful foreshadowing in this story to Christ, but I will go into that more in the next post.

Questions: Did Joseph let this power go to his head? Did people leave Egypts religion to worship God because of Joseph? Where did they keep all of this grain?

Lessons: The big lessons I see here involve trusting God even when it makes no sense to. If we trust, follow, and focus on God, then God will be the one people see not us. When we have nothing left but God, God will be the one people notice. We need to bear fruit in every circumstance! We don’t know what role we play in God’s plan, but we don’t need to know. We only need to know God and trust Him. If we play no role but live our lives for Christ, we should be satisfied. Our role is not relevant whatsoever. We want to be effective for Christ and we want to impact the world, but all we need is Christ. We need to let Him determine how effective we are and what our impact is.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams

Story: Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

Passage: Genesis 41:1-36

Characters: Joseph, Pharaoh, cupbearer

Summary: Two years later, Pharaoh had two dreams. In the first, seven skinny cows ate seven fat cows. In the second, seven thin ears of corn ate seven plump ears of corn. Pharaoh was troubled but no one could interpret the dream. His cupbearer remembered Joseph. Joseph was brought to Pharaoh. Joseph gave God the credit for the interpretation and then interpreted the dream to mean there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. This was fixed by God. Joseph recommended Pharaoh choose a wise man to save food over the years of plenty to use during the years of famine.

Notes: Joseph spent two more years in prison. It is a testament to Joseph’s character that instead of becoming bitter, he continued to grow and mature in his relationship with God. Pharaoh’s dream is unusual, but not terrifying. Yet, he was disturbed by it. The passage says that his spirit was troubled. God put on his heart that this was a significant dream. Egypt’s magicians could not figure out its meaning. This is significant since Egypt had some good magicians as we will see in Exodus. I’m sure they made up explanations to try to satisfy the king, or at least came up with guesses. But it was obvious they did not have an answer. The cupbearer then remembered his faults and spoke of Joseph. This is the turning point in Joseph’s life. Years of imprisonment and enslavement all came to a close instantly when a forgetful servant remembered him. The passage says Pharaoh brought him to him quickly. He was shaved and given new clothes. Suddenly, Joseph, a mere slave and prisoner who had never caught a break since his brothers attacked him was standing in front of the king of Egypt. Given his history, he could have easily used this event to advance himself. He had been wronged. Why not interpret the dream and take the glory for himself? But Joseph was committed to God and told Pharaoh up front that he could not interpret the dream, but God would. Compare this to Daniel’s response to Nebuchadnezzar. We find out from Pharaoh’s account of the dream that not only did the skinny cows and corn eat the fat cows and corn, but once they had finished eating, they were just as ugly as before. Joseph gave his interpretation. He recognized that the seven cows and ears of corn represented seven years. He also recognized that the repetition was important and meant that this was going to happen and happen soon. His interpretation made God responsible. Joseph knew God was behind the dreams and would be behind both the years of plenty and the years of famine. Joseph understood that God could work through hard times. That understanding must have been what got him through his years in Egypt. Joseph also recognized that God had a reason to give this dream to Pharaoh. I think what he did next was extremely bold. He gave advice to the king of the better part of the world on how to handle this crisis. Joseph knew that God was giving them a warning and that they needed to take action so he gave Pharaoh a plan that would work. We will see tomorrow how Pharaoh reacts to this suggestion. I find it interesting that the famine will be so bad they forget the good years. Isn’t it interesting how quickly we can forget the good when we are faced with the bad? I wonder if Joseph spoke from experience. From here forward, Joseph’s story is changing. God used years of trouble, hardship, and injustice to prepare Joseph for this moment. And when the time came, He basically instantaneously pulled Joseph out of the pit and put him where he was meant to be the whole time. The lessons Joseph has learned are going to be absolutely necessary for what he will be faced with. We already can see much more humility, wisdom, and diligence in this young man.

Questions: How did Pharaoh know his dream was significant? Did his magicians not try to give interpretations of the dream? Had Joseph forgotten what it was like to be the favored son at home? Why did Joseph offer his suggestion to the king of Egypt?

Lessons: Joseph’s humility, boldness, and faithfulness to God gives us a great example for how to live. Even in the hard times, Joseph was all about God’s glory. He could have made himself look really good, but his actions show that he had God’s interests in mind first and then Egypt’s. While we can learn from his humility before Pharaoh, we can also learn from his boldness. His willingness to tell Pharaoh what to do was not based in pride, but rather in obedience to God.

Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners' Dreams

Story: Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners' Dreams

Passage: Genesis 40

Summary: The cupbearer and baker of the king offended him and were imprisoned. They were put under Joseph. One night, they both had dreams and were troubled. Joseph interpreted them. Three days would pass and the cupbearer would be restored and the baker would be beheaded. This was exactly what happened. But the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Notes: Imprisonment was the result of offense but not necessarily a crime. These two men had offended Pharaoh. Joseph was put in charge of the new prisoners. Interestingly, he was in the prison of the captain of the guard. The captain of the guard was Potiphar. It seems to me that Potiphar must have still trusted Joseph since he still gave him authority in prison. Even with this authority though, Joseph served the prisoners. He did use his authority selfishly, but rather he selflessly served those under him. Even though he was in a bad spot himself, he noticed they were bothered and cared enough to find out why and help. The butlers dreams was in figures he understood: grapes and vines. Joseph's interpretation surely came from God because he would have had no way of guessing that the three vines represented three days. His interpretation would be proved right or wrong in three days. We see him ask the cupbearer to remember him when he is restored. Joseph might be focused on God, but he is still in a bad place and wants to be restored. He is focused on God though and is willing to serve Him until he is released. He sees his position as being in a pit. This was not the first pit Joseph has spent time in. The baker saw the good interpretation and wanted one for himself. Unfortunately, Joseph did not have a good interpretation for him. Joseph very bluntly interpreted his dream as predicting his execution. Joseph was obedient and gave the interpretations just as he saw them from God whether they were good or bad. It is important to not ignore the bad in the Bible. God's warnings are there for a reason. Sure enough, Joseph's interpretations came true. However, the cupbearer quickly forgot Joseph. I can't believe this! This man had served him and predicted his restoration to the day! He apparently only cared about his own freedom and comfort. God was apparently not done preparing Joseph for what He had in store for him!

Questions: What did the cupbearer and baker do to deserve imprisonment? Is Potiphar really the one in charge of the prison? How did Joseph know he could interpret the dreams? How did the baker and cupbearer know that these were not just normal dreams? How did the cupbearer forget Joseph so quickly?

Lessons: It is important to continue to obey God even in the bad times. It is okay to acknowledge them as bad times. It is also okay to try to get out of them as Joseph did. But getting to a better situation should never come before serving God and serving others. It is also important to learn from Joseph's bad interpretation. Sometimes we try to sugarcoat the scriptures. We emphasize the promises and blessings and ignore the warnings. We emphasize God's mercy but not His justice. It is important to look at the truth, not just the happy stuff. Most of us can learn quite a lot from Joseph's selflessness even when in prison!

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

Story: Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

Passage: Genesis 39

Characters: Joseph, Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife

Summary: The Lord blessed Joseph in Potiphar’s house. Joseph was put in charge of all that he owned. God blessed Potiphar for Joseph’s sake. Potiphar’s only concern was the food he ate. Joseph was handsome and Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Joseph refused her advances saying that he is greater than even Potiphar and he has been given everything but her. How could he sin against God? Joseph would not listen to her or lie beside her or be with her. One day she grabbed his clothes and tried to get him to sleep with her. He fled leaving his clothing in her hands. She told the household that Joseph had tried to rape her but he ran away when she started screaming. When Potiphar heard this he was furious and he threw Joseph into prison with the king’s enemies. The Lord showed Joseph love and gave him favor in prison. The prison keeper put Joseph in charge of the prison. The Lord made Joseph succeed.

Notes: Wow I have a ton of thoughts on this story! This story which is avoided sometimes because of its content is rich with meaning and lessons! For starters, Joseph was in a bad place. He was in a foreign country as a slave with no hope of ever seeing his family again. Instead of focusing on the bad spot he was in, he focused on God and continued his relationship with God and he prospered. Instead of looking at himself and complaining that God wasn’t there for him, he looked at God and saw that God was no less with him in Egypt than at home. Joseph was given control of Potiphar’s entire house. Potiphar was captain of the guard, which would have been similar to the head of Pharaoh’s security detail. This man was trusted by the king of Egypt and Joseph was in charge of his house. The passage says Potiphar had no concern but the food he ate. Apparently Joseph didn’t cook! Anyway, the passage also says that his master saw the Lord was with him and caused all that he did to succeed. Joseph was living and working in a way that the people around him knew he had a relationship with God. God also blessed those around him because of him. This blessing did not come quickly. If you look at his age when he was sold and his age when he was in prison, we see he was in Potiphar’s house for about 11 years. This process of God blessing him and giving him favor was not immediate. God’s blessings are often not immediate, but they are real and if we don’t lose our focus, they will come. We can’t confuse His blessings with comfortable circumstances. Joseph’s blessings came because he was a slave and a prisoner. We are supposed to be willing to focus on God no matter our circumstances. A good understanding of the one who we have a relationship with is essential to this. I believe it is the secret to being content in all circumstances which Paul refers to in the New Testament. It is significant that the passage says Joseph was handsome. Only two other biblical men are described as good looking: David, and Absalom. Potiphar’s wife saw him and began to try to seduce him. I doubt she was used to being rejected. In a position where culturally, women were not very moral and as the wife of one of the most important men in the country, she probably saw quite a few men. But Joseph would have none of it! Let’s look briefly at Joseph’s approach to this temptation. First of all, don’t let yourself believe that Joseph was not tempted by this! He would have been in his mid twenties and a beautiful prestigious woman wanted him. He had control of the entire house and had plenty of opportunity to give in. I guarantee you there was a struggle in Joseph every time she tried to seduce him. Satan has not changed his tactics much over the years. Guys are still tempted by very similar things today. Because of this, we can learn a lot from Joseph’s response! He knew he had been given everything except for her. Unlike Adam and Eve in the garden though, he knew what was off limits and he did not let his pride make him think he deserved the one thing he didn’t have. Joseph acknowledged that what she wanted was wicked and sin. When facing temptation it is important to not try to downplay sin and call it something else. Call it what it is! Wickedness and sin! She spoke to him day after day. This temptation was constant! Jospeh responded by not listening to her, lying beside her, or being with her. He did not try to coexist with the temptation, he intentionally avoided it! He put a conscious and probably difficult effort to not even be around her! And if he was, he did not listen to her. When she crafted a situation where they would be alone, she put him to the ultimate test. She caught him by the garment and tried again. To be realistic, what was probably going on here was she was trying to get his clothes off. Here Joseph was, alone in a house with her, half naked against his choice, and I suspect her appearance was encouraging sin as well. He immediately fled. He did not try to reason with her, he did try to talk her out of it or even to talk himself out of it. He immediately ran. He didn’t run to the other room, he ran out of the house! He got as far from the situations as he could, leaving his clothes in her hand. He knew it would have immediate negative consequences, but he also knew his relationship with God was more important. In fact, his relationship with God is the reason he was able to fight this in the first place. If our relationship with God is shaky, our ability to fight temptation will be as well. Unless we keep ourselves grounded and focused on the one who truly loves us and desires us and wants to give us joy, we will look to temporary pleasures. Joseph was indeed thrown in prison. This was probably a life sentence, but it was a light sentence. A slave trying to rape his master’s wife should have been the death penalty. Potiphar probably knew his wife was partially to blame, but he was in a tricky spot. He had no choice but to listen to his wife and punish the one who handled all his estate and had brought blessing to his house. This looks like an even lower spot in Joseph’s life, but once again he focused on God not his situation and once again he was blessed. Before long, he was basically in charge of the prison! Can you even imagine a prisoner running the prison he was imprisoned in? This contentment and diligence can only come from God! This looks like a bad spot, but God had big plans for Jacob which involved diligence, perseverance, hard work, and a lot of administrative responsibility. As the favored son in a wealthy family, he was not cut out for this yet. Remember that his fancy coat showed that he was not a worker. God was giving him a crash course in hard work to prepare him for what was coming and Joseph was passing with flying colors!

Questions: Did Potiphar suspect his wife was guilty here? How angry was Potiphar’s wife? How long had she been trying to seduce Joseph before this happened? What exactly was Joseph’s responsibility in the prison?

Lessons: We can learn a lot about how to stand up to sin and face temptation in this passage. When our focus is on God He will bless our efforts. Joseph kept his focus even in extreme temptation. He did not try to reason with Potiphar’s wife or himself. He simply called it sin and fled. We need to apply this to temptation in our own lives.

Judah and Tamar

Story: Judah and Tamar

Passage: Genesis 38

Characters: Judah, Tamar, Er, Onan

Summary: Judah married a Canaanite. They had three sons. Er, his firstborn, married Tamar, but the Lord put him to death before they had children. Judah told Onan to have children with Tamar for Er, but Onan intentionally failed at this and he was also put to death by God. Judah told Tamar to wait for the next son but he never gave her to him. When Judah’s wife dies, Tamar dressed like a prostitute and slept with Judah. She took some of Judah’s items as a pledge. When Judah heard Tamar was pregnant he was going to have her killed, but she produced his pledge and he realized he was the father. He recognized that he had sinned more than her. She had twins, Perez and Zerah. Zerah’s arm came out first, but after they had tied a scarlet cord on his wrist, Perez came out.

Notes: First off, what a weird story! Judah had not distinguished himself yet as being worthy of the inheritance which Reuben, Simeon, and Levi had lost. I don’t feel like this story helps either, but apparently God still chose Him. This shows God’s incredible grace yet again in the old testament. Judah’s actions and the actions of his family were very sinful here and yet God used these circumstances to continue His redemptive line. Judah married a Canaanite. It is obvious that it would not be long before Israel was completely mixed with Canaan. God had plans to solve this issue though. Anyway, we never hear the name of this woman. She is only referred to as the daughter of Shua. Their sons were apparently quite wicked as well. We don’t know what Er did, but God felt the need to put him to death. In that culture, it was the next brother’s responsibility to have children for his older brother. This was partially to continue the family line, but also because widows were supposed to be taken care of by their children. So to be a childless widow was a grim future. Anyway, Onan did not fulfill his duty. I believe the issue was not that he did not have kids for his brother, but that while refusing to do his duty, he did not refuse to sleep with Tamar. He used her for his pleasure without the responsibility he had. God saw his wickedness and put him to death as well. At this point, can we blame Judah for being scared to let his last son marry Tamar? In his eyes, Tamar’s husbands die. He probably thought she was to blame when in reality, I suspect he was to blame for how he raised his sons. Anyway, when Judah’s wife died, Tamar set her plan into action. She dressed like a cult prostitute and slept with Judah. First of all, prostitution was a significant part of the pagan religions in Canaan. The fact that Judah took part shows us how far he was straying from following the Lord. God allowed her to conceive from this. Obviously, her actions were deceitful and sinful, but God still had a plan for them. Judah tried to find her to give her his payment. He wanted his pledge back, but he couldn’t find her. More specifically, his friend couldn’t find her. This friend was the man who Judah was visiting when he met his wife. Obviously he was very close with this Canaanite. When Judah found out that Tamar was pregnant by prostitution he was ready to kill her. This seems pretty extreme for someone who was obviously himself mixed up with prostitution. Tamar produces his items he had left with her as a pledge. She trusted that he would realize that he was also guilty. He did. He recognized that he was even guiltier than she was since he did not intend to give his son to her to give her children. This was a pivotal moment in the story of Christ. Would Judah recognize his guilt and show Tamar mercy or would he put her to death for her sins? He recognized his sins and showed her mercy. This allowed her twins to be born. This is incredibly important since Perez, the first one who was actually born, is part of the line of Christ. This whole story is a muddled mess, and yet God chose to use this story to continue the line of people leading to His son being born. I also am intrigued that God used Tamar, who is probably a Canaanite, to bring His son to the world. God had a global vision for the church all the way back in Genesis!

Questions: Why would God use such a messed up family in His plans to save the world? If God can use Judah and company, can he use us with all of our brokenness and baggage? Why was Er put to death? How did Tamar feel about her husbands dying? Why was Judah looking for a prostitute anyway? How did this episode influence Judah’s reputation in the area? With his family? Did Judah end up breaking his ties with Canaan?

Lessons: God chooses to use the most messed up rebellious people to do His work. This is good news for us! If God sees a father who is afraid to give his son to his daughter-in-law so instead he sleeps with a prostitute who turns out to be his daughter-in-law and uses the offspring from this incident to bring His son to the world and save it, then I am encouraged and believe that He can use us with all of our issues to serve Him and do His will. It makes no sense, but as we have seen throughout the book of Genesis, God shows mercy and grace to exactly the people who do not deserve mercy and grace!

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

Story: Joseph Sold by His Brothers

Passage: Genesis 37:12-36

Characters: Joseph, Joseph’s brothers, Reuben, Jacob

Summary: Joseph”s brothers were with the flocks near Shechem. Israel sent him to check on them. They were at Dothan. They saw Joseph coming and plotted to kill him and prove his dreams false. Reuben convinced them to just throw him in a pit so he could rescue him later. The brothers then sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Reuben tore his clothes when he found out. They tore his robe and dipped it in goat blood and took it to Jacob. Jacob mourned for a long time and refused to be comforted. Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the captian of the guard in Egypt.

Notes: First of all, why were they near Shechem again? That city did not get along with them. Second, it is obvious that Joseph’s dreams had a major effect on his brothers. They call him a dreamer and the whole point of killing him is to prove his dreams false. This puts the dreams to the perfect test. If they were from God they would not fail, if not, they would. Reuben shows leadership and spares Joseph’s life. However, in an attempt to not get his murderous brothers mad at him, he suggests they throw Joseph into a pit so he could secretly rescue him later. We see Reuben’s main objective was to restore Joseph to his father. Reuben is the one who slept with his father’s concubine. I suspect he was trying to earn some favor back with his father. As the first born, he wanted to get the inheritance. I don’t know for sure that was his motivation, but I suspect it played a role. Either way, he didn’t suggest not harming Joseph. Apparently he then left Joseph alone with his brothers. Smart move Reuben! I can’t believe they had just left their own brother for dead, and then they sat down to eat! This is appalling to me! How could they care so little. I find a parallel between his brothers stripping him of his coat, the sign of favor, and Satan trying to strip us of our sign of favor with God. This struggle for favor goes on in everyone’s hearts today. Judah had a bright idea! They should sell their brother instead of kill him! That way they’re not guilty of bloodshed and they make a bit of money in the process! And to think, Christ came from the line of this man! The brothers then bloodied Joseph’s coat and presented it to Jacob. This was a very insensitive way to present this news to their father. I suspect the sons felt some resentment towards Jacob as well. This was a messed up family! And yet, they were God’s chosen family. Joseph was not dead, but as long as Jacob thought he was, he was as good as dead. In the same way, if Satan can convince us we are still spiritually dead, we will believe it and will act as if we were. It is important to constantly be in scripture to remind ourselves that Christ has made us alive in Him! This looks like a terrible situation for Joseph, but it was part of God’s plan all along and God will never leave his side.
Questions: What were Reuben’s motives for trying to save Joseph? How did the brothers like Jacob’s reaction and inability to be comforted? Why did God choose Judah to carry on the line of redemption through history? What made him worth it?

Lessons: God is with us, even when it feels like there is no possible way He could be. None of us are worth being chosen by God as His children. But neither was Israel. From Jacob on, they were a rebellious messed up family and later nation. We can learn from God’s love and the way he treated them and we can hold to that grace He extends towards us as well. It is also important to not let us be convinced of a lie and crippled by it. Jacob fell for the trick and was no longer an effective leader for his family (if he ever was). Satan wants nothing more than to make us ineffective for Christ. Don’t fall for his lies, look to Christ’s truth!