Genesis 37

Study Guide 8: Genesis 37-50 JOSEPH IN EGYPT Overview God had told Abraham, “ Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions” (Genesis 15:13-14). The story of Joseph relates how Israel came to Egypt, where the little family multiplied to the millions needed to establish a nation. EGYPT. During the Middle Kingdom Age when Joseph went to Egypt, it was a powerful and unified land; a land of peace, effective government, and general prosperity. Massive mud forts guarded frontiers and Egypt’ s trade and gold mining interests. Documents of the day reveal trade with western Asia, and that Canaan was divided into tribal areas and city states, just as the Bible describes. This classical age of the Egyptian language produced exciting short stories, and even a treatise on the Pleasures of Fishing and Fowling. It was a confident, powerful people who welcomed the little Hebrew family to Egypt, their haven of safety. DREAMS. The Old Testament distinguishes between ordinary and revelatory dreams, through which God communicated information. Numbers 12:6 seems to suggest that dreams were the primary way that God spoke to His prophets, and here to Egypt’ s king.

Commentary The story of Joseph has fascinated laymen and scholars for centuries. As a man Joseph is one of the Bible’ s most commendable characters. And his experiences remind us in many ways of Jesus. As a historical record, the portrait given in Genesis of life in Egypt has been demonstrated to be amazingly accurate — amazing at least to those who used to argue that Joseph’ s story was written a millennium or so after the supposed events. Leon Wood (Survey of Israel’ s History, Zondervan) summarizes some of the details in the Genesis account that ring so true. Corroboration of details in this overall story with contemporary Egyptian practices and customs illustrates the accuracy of the biblical record. The titles, “ chief of the butlers,” and “ chief of the bakers,” occur both in Genesis (Genesis 40:2) and extant Egyptian texts. Famines were known in Egypt and the idea of persons being assigned to dispense food during these famines is borne out in tomb inscriptions. One inscription even speaks of a seven-year famine at the time of the Third Dynasty (2700 b.c.). Indication is made on the Rosetta Stone that the Pharaoh had a custom of releasing prisoners on his birthday, as he did the butler (Genesis 40:20). Joseph shaved before seeing Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14), and shaving was a distinctive practice of Egypt. Pharaoh gave Joseph a signet ring, linen clothing, and a gold chain (Genesis 41:42), all three of which are mentioned in Egyptian texts for similar use. Some scholars have objected to the idea of Joseph, a Semite, being elevated to such a high position in Egypt; but a letter dating from the Amarna period has been found written to a person in similar position having the Semitic name Dudu (David). It fits too that the Twelfth Dynasty, ruling at this time, had now moved the capital back from Thebes to the northern site of Memphis. Joseph was thus more accessible to his brothers coming down from Canaan, as the continuing story indicates, and also to them living later in Goshen after Jacob’ s arrival.

Joseph and His Mission Joseph, the son of Rachel, his father Jacob’ s favorite wife, was younger than the sons of the other wives. The Bible says that Jacob loved Joseph more than his brothers, and showed open favoritism (Genesis 37:2-4). As a result the brothers hated Joseph, and were constantly critical and cutting in speaking to him. At 17 Joseph had dreams which indicated he was to have authority over his brothers and his parents. He foolishly told the dreams, and while his father took them seriously, the brothers became more jealous. A short time later Joseph was sent to make sure that all was well with his brothers, who were herding the family flocks on a distant range. Seeing Joseph approach, the brothers conspired to kill him but were restrained by Reuben. When a trade caravan of Midianites passed near, they decided to sell Joseph as a slave. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Children can identify with the story of Joseph and his unkind brothers. They can even understand the brothers’ jealousy. This story can be used to help boys and girls explore their own sibling relations, and think of how to act in more loving ways. Begin by exploring feelings. Why were the brothers angry? How did Joseph make things worse? What makes us angry sometimes at our brothers and sisters? When they are angry at us, what do we do that makes things worse? Then introduce stick puppets. (Simply draw faces on popsicle sticks.) Ask children to pretend these are Joseph and his brothers and act out several scenes from the story: Joseph getting his special coat, Joseph telling his dream, Joseph visiting his brothers in the field. First act out what did happen. Then ask the children to act differently, to help the brothers not become so angry. Give the children freedom to invent their own ideas — they will prove more creative than you might expect! To apply, let the stick puppets now represent a modern family. What do brothers and sisters do that may upset each other? Act it out. How can we act toward each other to help a brother or sister not be jealous or angry? Act this out too. In the biblical story, God used the anger and jealousy of Joseph’ s brothers to work His good plan. How good that in our own families He is most likely to use love and sensitivity for our children’ s good. It’ s hard to imagine Joseph’ s feelings at the time his brothers sold him. His own family had rejected him, plotted to kill him, and in fact had sold him into a life of slavery in a foreign land. We could hardly blame this teenager if he had simply given up and surrendered to despair. But when Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, a high Egyptian official, he actively applied himself to serving. He became so successful that he was advanced to oversee all of Potiphar’ s affairs. And “ the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph” (Genesis 39:5). But Joseph had attracted the passion of Potiphar’ s wife, who tried many times to seduce him. Joseph resisted, unwilling to sin against his master and against God (Genesis 39:7-9). One day when Joseph entered the house alone Potiphar’ s wife literally tore his cloak from him. Joseph fled. Convinced she would never have Joseph, the scorned wife lied to her husband. Joseph was stripped of his position and thrown into political prison “ where the king’ s prisoners were confined” (Genesis 39:20). Again Joseph might have lost heart. But again he approached the situation with perseverance, and his capabilities won him quick advancement. In time Joseph became supervisor of the prison under the head jailer, and again the Lord prospered his activities. In each of these positions Joseph gained administrative experience — which would serve him well later as a ruler in Egypt! In prison Joseph met two high court officials, the chief butler and chief baker. He interpreted dreams for them. One was to be restored to favor, the other executed by Pharaoh. Joseph’ s God-given interpretation came true. Two years later when Pharaoh had puzzling dreams, his chief butler remembered Joseph. He was brought to the palace to interpret. Joseph explained that the dreams of Pharaoh were a divine warning of a great famine to follow a time of great plenty. Joseph also proposed a solution: someone should be appointed to gather food during the time of plenty, and administer distribution during the famine. The impressed Pharaoh responded, “ Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace and all my people are to submit to your orders” (Genesis 41:39-40). God had brought Joseph to Egypt as a teenage slave: now, at 30, he was exalted to the second place in the mighty kingdom. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT “ Good News, Bad News” is a familiar comedy ploy. “ Good news,” the comedian says, “ Mother-in-law is leaving town. Bad news, it’ s only because my house burned down.” The story of Joseph illustrates the fact that God often works in His people’ s lives in a reverse sort of way. “ Bad news, Joseph is sold as a slave. Good news, he’ s sold to Potiphar and rises to a position of trust. Bad news, Joseph is falsely accused and thrown into prison. Good news, it’ s the king’ s prison and he meets powerful people there. These and other experiences of Joseph seem to have a pattern — a bad thing happens which God uses for good. Let your group identify all the “ bad news” experiences in Joseph’ s early life story, and then list ways that each was really God’ s “ good news.” List on the board. When completed, give each group member paper and pencil to list five “ bad news” experiences of his or her own. Then divide into small teams of four or five. Share the “ bad news” items one at a time, but then think together about how God has transformed them into “ good news” in each life. We can usually see the good in bad experiences that are long past. But your team members may need to help each other think of possible good outcomes for difficulties being experienced now. The rest of the Joseph story traces the trips of his brothers to Egypt during the famine years to buy grain. They confronted Joseph several times but did not recognize him. After several visits Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, urging them not to be afraid. Joseph had come to realize that “ God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7). Looking beyond the brothers’ sinful motives, Joseph realized that it was God, not they, who had ordained his sojourn in Egypt. This realization had removed all bitterness from Joseph’ s heart. Joseph then had his entire family, some 76 persons, come to live in Egypt, and he set aside a fertile area for them. After the death of Jacob, whose body was returned to Palestine for burial, the brothers still feared Joseph and expected revenge. They could not understand this man whose willingness to do the will of God had given him joy even in suffering. Again Joseph reassured them: “ You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20-21). And with this explanation Joseph promised to provide for them and their little ones. The last paragraph of Genesis reveals even more of Joseph’ s faith. He relied on the covenant of God. Someday God would visit this family and take them again to the land sworn to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. At that time, Joseph decreed that his people should carry his coffin with them on their return journey. Joseph’ s life had been lived in a land that, for all its power, was a land of exile. But his body would lie, awaiting the final fulfillment of the covenant, in the dust of the Promised Land. There are many riches to explore in these chapters. It is particularly fascinating to study Joseph’ s character. No matter how discouraged he must have become at the many reversals he experienced, we never see Joseph doing less than his best. In moments of crisis we see him choosing to do what is right. Rather than being eaten up with bitterness against his brothers, or returning hatred for hatred, Joseph looks beyond them to see the hand of God. And he remains sure that God’ s hand is on him “ for good.” How often we look at our tragedies as injustice, or as punishment for some unknown fault. We need more of Joseph’ s trust in the loving goodness of God. God does sometimes lead His children into suffering. But it is always done in order that He might bring through the suffering some greater good. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Play “ Future Fishing” with boys and girls to help them realize that even bad things can lead to good. Have a screen labeled “ today” on one side, “ tomorrow” on the other. Have a pole, with a paper clip “ hook” tied to a string “ line.” Also have 3 x 5 cards prepared. On one set write the bad things in Joseph’ s life. On another have the matching good things God brought from them. Let a child stand on the “ today” side of the screen and draw a card. Read it aloud, and talk about how sad the experience must have made Joseph feel. Say, “ But that was Joseph’ s today. What good thing do you supposed that will lead to tomorrow? “ Let the child who drew “ fish” over the screen on the tomorrow side, as a helper slips the matching card on the paper clip. Read it, and talk about how God’ s plan for Joseph’ s tomorrow was good, even though his today was full of pain. You can then play this game with experiences children face. A friend moves away. They get sick. As you write the children’ s ideas of bad things on cards, your helper behind the screen can write possible good results on corresponding cards. One friend moved . . . but a family with someone who will become your very best friend might buy their house. As the children draw “ bad” today cards and then fish in “ tomorrow” for a corresponding “ good,” remind them that God knows tomorrow, and is planning our lives for good just as He loved Joseph and planned his life for good.

Typology In the unit on Isaac and Jacob, we saw four ways to study the Old Testament. The story of Joseph lends itself to yet another study approach: the typological. A type is an event, character, or institution which has a place and purpose in Bible history, but which also, by divine design, foreshadows the future. For instance, Christ is sometimes called the “ second Adam,” and in Romans 5:14 Adam is spoken of as a “ pattern of the One to come.” There is no exact correspondence here. Yet Christ and Adam are alike in that each is the head of a race: Adam of sinful man; Christ of redeemed humanity. In regard to headship, Adam as the source of humankind does foreshadow Jesus, the source of mankind’ s transformed brotherhood. Another type is seen in the Passover lamb, the animal whose blood was sprinkled over the door of Jewish households at the time of Exodus. When the angel of death saw the blood on the doorposts, he passed over the blood-protected home. So 1 Corinthians says, “ Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The helpless lamb, whose blood bought safety for an Old Testament generation, speaks to us of Jesus’ blood as well. A type, then, bears some resemblance in function or meaning in the original historical setting, to something or to someone yet to come. Some Bible teachers have gone too far in seeking types of Christ or of Christian doctrines in the Old Testament. So we want to be careful in seeking typical significances. We never, for instance, build doctrine on types. What we do is to study carefully a historical setting for a basis of typical meaning. At times we’ ll find areas of strong resemblance between Old Testament events or persons and features of the New Testament. And these correspondences will help us appreciate the meaning of truths which stand constant throughout the sweep of history as central elements in God’ s plan. But why speak of types and typology here? Because many Bible students have seen in Joseph’ s life and mission many parallels to Christ. Rejected by his brothers, sold for silver, suffering in a foreign land for the good of those who betrayed him, Joseph does bear a striking resemblance to the Saviour. And Joseph’ s forgiving spirit also foreshadows the attitude of Jesus, who one day would cry from a cross, “ Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Do a typological study comparing Joseph to Jesus. Use a chart to record similarities between the two. Several similarities have been noted. Begin with these, and then add others as you discover them in Genesis 37-50.

Comparison of Joseph and Christ JosephChrist

To Egypt? The story of Joseph does more than give us a portrait of a man of great faith and admirable character. It also marks a major turning point in the history of God’ s chosen people. Israel moved from the Promised Land to the land of Egypt, where, after a time, Joseph was forgotten and the people enslaved. Why was Egypt part of God’ s plan for His people? We’ ll learn more about this in coming studies in Moses’ first five Old Testament books. But even now we can sense several reasons why the Hebrews needed to leave Palestine, and spend centuries in Egypt. Leon Wood (Survey) summarizes: Egypt was a country in which Jacob’ s descendants would have to remain a separate people, for Jacob and his sons were shepherds, and shepherds were an abomination to the Egyptians (Genesis 43:32; Genesis 46:34). The fact would remain a natural barrier to intermarriage. In Canaan there had already been some intermarriage with the inhabitants and continued living there would have brought more. This could only have led to serious amalgamation with these Canaanites, rather than distinctiveness as a nation. Further, Egypt afforded excellent living conditions for the necessary rapid growth in numbers. The land of Goshen was fertile and regularly watered by the flooding Nile for adequate food supply. We might also point out that Canaan, during the centuries that the Jews were in Egypt, was a highway for the armies of nations to the north and south. The Hebrews could hardly have grown in such numbers as they did in the protected environment of Egypt. In a very real sense, Egypt was a womb in which the seed of Israel grew and multiplied until in God’ s own time a nation was born. A glimpse of God’ s purpose in bringing Israel into Egypt helps us to focus on the primary message of these Genesis chapters. Joseph himself summed it up as he reassured his brothers: “ God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:7-8). What is the message? God is a Person who is in control of circumstances, who works providentially to accomplish His good purposes. It’ s important that we grasp this truth about God as firmly as Joseph did. In Genesis we’ ve seen God act in direct interventions. He created Adam and Eve. He set aside the orderly processes of nature to bring on earth a cataclysmic flood. He spoke to Abraham directly. He acted in a clearly supernatural way to overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah. But there is no record that God spoke directly to Joseph. Joseph had heard stories of the covenant from his father. Joseph had dreamed dreams. But God did not meet with Joseph or confront him. There is no record of God acting to set aside natural processes on Joseph’ s account. God blessed Joseph’ s efforts in Potiphar’ s house, in prison, and in his position as a ruler of Egypt. But it was through Joseph’ s own honesty and efforts that the Lord worked. In the unfolding of circumstances, Joseph saw the hand of God. But certainly others would have seen only luck — both good and bad. But Joseph’ s view is the true one. As we trace through the rest of the Old Testament, we’ ll see that God does sometimes intervene directly. But in most cases God works through the ordering of circumstances: through the natural progress of events whose sequence nonetheless is patterned to shape history according to God’ s plan and will. It is important for us to see that this same will is active in our own circumstances. Each child of God is as important to Him as Joseph. Not because we have a task as great as Joseph’ s, but because we are just as precious to the Lord. Thus we have that great New Testament affirmation of God’ s control of circumstance for our benefit: “ We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even tragedies such as Joseph experienced are meant for good. True, they may not lead us to a place of blessing in some earthly Egypt. But one day we will find our place as kings and priests to reign with the triumphant Christ. In that day the pattern of our individual lives will be seen, woven into the great tapestry of the overall plan of our God: a plan that has in sharp focus the preservation of human beings for a life that extends far beyond the short span allotted you and me on earth. A plan that involves, with eternity, the full restoration in our personalities of the purified image of our God.

Chart of the Primeval and Patriarchal Periods ChaptersKey WordTheme and Message Genesis 1:1-31CreationThe universe is personal Genesis 2:1-25ManMen are made in God’ s image Gen. 3-4SinSin introduces death’ s reign Gen. 6-9JudgmentThe universe has moral order Genesis 12:1-20;Genesis 15:1-21CovenantGod’ s promise reveals purpose in the universe Gen. 12-21SinfulAbraham and all men fall short Gen. 22-24FaithFaith in God is “ counted … for righteousness” Gen. 25-36TransmissionThe covenant promise was transmitted through Isaac and Jacob Gen. 37-50EgyptGod providentially orders events to work out His purposes Teaching Guide Prepare What traits of Joseph do you want to see in your own life and the lives of your group members? Pray that God will use this study to that end.

Explore

1. Go around your group and ask each member to finish the following sentence: “ The quality of Joseph that I would most like to see in my own life is _______.”
2. Or begin with a review of the Book of Genesis. Use the chart of the primeval and patriarchal periods to help your group members think through Genesis and its vital messages to us. You may want to put the chart framework on the board, and have your group fill it in together. Or leave just a few of the sections empty as a pop “ quiz.”

Expand

1. Give a minilecture on typology. Then put the suggested chart on the board and work on it together, as explained in the “ link-to-life” activity.
2. Or, give a longer lecture on the significance of Egypt in God’ s plan for Abraham’ s family. A good Bible dictionary or encyclopedia will give you information on that land during the Middle Kingdom Era. Also more information is developed in the next unit in this study.

Apply

1. You may want to focus here on how the evidence that God can and does work good through tragedy and suffering affects our own outlook on our hard times. The “ link-to-life” suggestion on studying Joseph with a “ bad news, good news” approach — and then looking at our personal experiences in the same way — can help here. See above.
2. Or use the chart on the contents of Genesis for a helpful review/application activity. Ask each group member to look at the chart and pick the one message that has been most meaningful to him or her personally. Then go around the group, asking each to identify the “ most meaningful” message and to share why that message was important in his or her own life.