We shall continue with
the study of the Book of Genesis this week.
(1) Joseph somehow saw the hand of God in his interpretation of the dream of the chief cupbearer of Pharaoh, but he had to wait another two “full” years (NIV). Apart from being a test of faith, what other practical reasons might there be for having to wait another two full years?
(2) What lesson might we learn from this?
(3) What was Pharaoh’s first dream? How absurd was it?
(4) What was his other dream about? How absurd was it?
(5) If you were to interpret them, what common-sense answers might you have?
(6) We can be pretty sure that the Egyptian wise men and magicians would have come up with some kind of interpretation. They might have logical answers, but not necessarily a divine one. What was Joseph’s immediate reply to Pharaoh? Why did he have to say that? Compare Joseph’s reply to that of Daniel in Daniel 2:28. What do they have in common?
(7) The chief cupbearer referred to his forgetting Joseph as a “shortcoming”, but the original Hebrew word (het) means “sin”. Why would it be a sin?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
I always like to say half-jokingly that God is never late, but seldom early. Why would I say it half-jokingly? Well, when you have gone through the pain of waiting, you know how hard it can be and how much you want God to provide a way out immediately. On the other hand, deep in your heart as a good Christian, you know that God’s timing is always the best.
It is interesting to read what appears to be a commentary by Moses that Joseph had to wait another “two full years” (Gen. 41:1). It conveys exactly that painful feeling of waiting. On the one hand, Joseph knew that the interpretation of the dream of the chief cupbearer of Pharaoh was not an accident and it came directly from God. By faith, he also knew too well that it would be an opportunity for his vindication. He was almost sure that this had to be a God-given opportunity for him to be free. Yet, he heard nothing and saw nothing for two full years. It must have been hard on him.
We all know that all things work for the good of those who love God (Rom. 8:28) and that God knows the way that we take, and as Job said, “(W)hen He has tested me, I will come forth as gold" (Job 23:10). Indeed, in order to assume such an important and epoch-changing task as the prime minister of Egypt, Joseph needed much training in godliness and faith.
But we can also think of other practical reasons that he needed to wait for another two full years.
As the prime minister of Egypt, this Hebrew slave had better brush up on his Egyptian language skills so that he could communicate fluently and royally. Being in charge of looking after important prisoners of the king (Gen. 39:20) would offer him not only the opportunity to learn the language well, but also some of the ins and outs, practices and culture of the palace. Two more years would only serve to better prepare him for being ushered suddenly into the royal palace.
And, of course, in God’s grander scheme of things, the timing of the famine had been “firmly decided by God” (41:32), and “God will do it” exactly in His own timing.
Yes, it is never easy to wait for God’s timing, but as David testified out of his own experience, “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful” (Ps. 25:10) and His ways obviously include His timing.
(1) Joseph was simply hoping to get out of prison (40:14), but what he got far exceeded his wildest dream (or did it really?). What might be the lesson we can learn from this?
(2) In interpreting the dreams, Joseph pointed out that God has revealed to Pharaoh, “what He is about to do”.
a. How significant was this statement to Pharaoh?
b. How significant was this statement to the Egyptian magicians?
(3) According to Joseph, why did God give Pharaoh the same dream in two forms?
(4) Joseph’s speech was in two parts: The first part was the interpretation of the dreams, and the second part was his recommended action to Pharaoh.
a. What did his proposal entail?
b. How important was his plan of advice?
c. What might be the most difficult part of the plan to implement?
d. Do you think Joseph had himself in mind in being appointed as “the” wise man to be put in charge? Why or why not?
(5) What, in essence, was Pharaoh appointing Joseph, the Hebrew slave, to do? What risk was Pharaoh taking? Why then would he make such a bold move?
(6) Try to imagine the huge change of status of Joseph, almost within minutes. What might be the most improbable change of it all? How can one explain such an improbable change?
(7) Both Joseph and Daniel were given a native name (and in the case of Joseph it probably means “God speaks and lives” and he was further given an Egyptian priest’s daughter as his wife). Did it have any impact on their own faith in Yahweh? Why or why not?
(8) We like to say, "like father like son". What do you think would become of Joseph’s marriage? Can you find in the Bible that he took other wives? (You may want to read the last part of the book of Genesis to get an idea.)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
The historicity of the story of Joseph has been a rather hot topic of dispute by some liberal scholars, because, “In all of Egypt’s literature, there is no record of an Asiatic slave rising to the position of grand vizier.” If the historians of old in Egypt chose to record the name of Joseph as such an important court official, they would have had no choice but to also record the subsequent exodus of the people of Israel. The two events are so intertwined that they are inseparable. You cannot record one without the other. We find no historical account of either, but that does not mean that they are not historical.
I guess it is truly improbable that Pharaoh would elevate a Hebrew slave to any important political position, let alone the number two man to whom all his people were to submit (Gen. 41:40). Egyptians despised Hebrews to the point that they “could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians” (Gen. 43:32).
We can also sense that Pharaoh, by so doing, was risking dissension among his officials and potentially risking divisions within his kingdom. If I were Pharaoh, even if I were convinced of Joseph’s wisdom and great ability, I would have him serve under an Egyptian prime minister. Thus, I would avoid any dissension. If Joseph proved to be popular among the people and earned the trust of his peers, then and only then would I consider elevating him to be the prime minister. This is called prudence.
Yet, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of his palace and all his people right away and declared that “Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you” (41:40). And, as if this was not enough, the Bible uses an even more vivid description saying, “He (Pharaoh) made him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, ‘Make way!’ Thus, he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” (41:43)
How can one explain such an improbable, or rather, impossible event? The only explanation is that this was thoroughly an act of God in the truest sense, because “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that He channels toward all who please him.” (Prov. 21:1)
Repeatedly in history, we have seen that’s how God acted. He did it to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:48); He did to the Persian King Cyrus too (Ezr. 1:1).
(1) How old was Joseph when he was sold by his brothers to Egypt? (See 37:2)
(2) Try to recount his life in the last 13 years and the major changes that took place in his life.
(3) Though the Bible never mentions them again, how do you think Potiphar and especially his wife took the news of Joseph’s change of fortune? How long did it take for his vindication to take place?
(4) In what ways might part of your life resemble that of Joseph?
(5) The Bible does not mention any opposition faced by Joseph in conducting his duties as the number two man in Egypt. But logically, what might he have to face? What might be the toughest part of his duties as he stored up huge quantities of grain for Pharaoh?
(6) The names of the two sons give us much insight into Joseph’s frame of mind in dealing with his past:
a. What does the name Manasseh tell us of how Joseph looked upon his past in his family?
b. What does forgetting “all my father’s household” mean?
c. What does the name of Ephraim tell us of how Joseph looked upon his first 13 years in Egypt?
d. And how does he now see his life in Egypt?
(7) What might the people and Pharaoh be thinking towards the end (but not quite the end) of the seven years of abundance? How would Joseph have felt?
(8) If there were skepticism and opposition in the first seven years, what happened when the years of famine began “just as Joseph has said”?
(9) How severe was the famine? How might such a tragedy speak to Romans 8:28?
(10) In what way is Joseph a type of Christ?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
I am struck by how Joseph named his first son, Manasseh.
For one, he did not give him an Egyptian name. For the sake of his upbringing, one might expect Joseph to give him an Egyptian name to help him relate better to the children in the royal court. But he gave him a Hebrew name, and I believe, not just because of his desire to remind his son of who he was, but more importantly to remind his son of the God they served. Many Egyptian names were tied to the gods they served.
But what struck me most is Joseph’s own statement explaining the naming of his son, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” (Gen. 41:51)
To forget all his trouble is understandable, but to forget all his father’s household? That was a heart-breaking statement indeed.
As an immigrant to North America, I have observed a rather interesting phenomenon among many long-time Chinese immigrants. In my circle of Chinese immigrant friends and relatives, many are highly educated. Many have their terminal degrees, they have remarkable achievements in their own fields, they have totally immersed themselves into North American society and they speak very fluent English too. But, as they are nearing their retirement age, I notice that many of them have begun watching Chinese television programs and reading Chinese newspapers, things which they seldom did before. They have also developed a nostalgia and talk more often about their hinterland. In other words, they all remember their roots and this is only natural.
But not Joseph. The past was simply so painful that he wanted to wipe his past totally from his memory. And because his painful past was tied to his father’s household, he wanted to forget them as well. Joseph’s pain had to be very deep! This, perhaps, helps explain why he would subject his brothers to experience some of the pain that they inflicted upon him.
In trying to wipe his painful past from his memory, Joseph had to deal with his God-given dreams. Unless these dreams did not come from God — but if they did, then he knew that he could not simply forget his father’s household, as painful as his memory was. But the fact that he named his first son Manasseh and with the explanation he gave, he was making a conscious choice to give up on the promise of God through his dreams.
But our God is so faithful. Even if we have forgotten or given up on His promise, He will not. In due time, by His providential hand, he brought his brothers, even his father to him. Yes, it might have been brutal, in the sense that this instantly forced Joseph to relive his painful past, but this was also the only way Joseph could be completely healed of his pain, not to mention the fulfilling of a greater purpose of God — the saving of his father’s household.
I, too, have some past memories that I’d rather not remember. Often in the middle of the night I would wake up, haunted by some of these painful memories of the past. But God has taught me to give thanks, because no matter how painful they were, they belong to the past, and there are just too many present “Ephraims” (twice fruitful) for which I should give thanks.
(1) Of course, Jacob did not know how long this famine would be, but as others in Canaan went to Egypt for food, he too ordered his sons (whose inaction appeared to have bothered him) to go. Why didn’t Benjamin go? Why did Jacob continue to show favoritism?
(2) Why did Joseph treat his brothers so harshly? Did he still hold a grudge? Should he? Would you?
(3) Why would the reminder of his dreams (which were not totally fulfilled at this point) cause him to accuse them as spies? (v. 9) Do you think Joseph really thought that this reunion would actually happen one day? (See 41:51)
(4) Was it not natural that ten men coming as a group and claiming to be one family, should arouse suspicion?
(5) Joseph almost died in the hands of these brothers because of their jealousy. What would he be most concerned about at this point, seeing only ten of his brothers?
(6) According to Joseph, how could they prove their innocence? How would such a command jeopardize the lives of his father’s family in this time of famine?
(7) What effect might the imprisonment of the brothers for three days have on them?
(8) Why didn’t the brothers recognize their own brother Joseph while Joseph could recognize them? (Later on in v. 23, we read that all their dialogue was done through an interpreter.)
(9) What did Joseph intend to do by putting the brothers into prison for three days?
(10) What is the main message to you today?
We may not fully understanding the inner struggle of Joseph as he suddenly and unexpectedly had to face his brothers who almost took his life and who at least took away his father from him at a very young age, but the pain and grief of the past must still have been real at the time.
I invite
you to meditate on this Spiritual which reflects a similar feeling of hurt and
pain, penned by someone who likely was a slave as well. No one seems to know the origin of this song,
but it was made popular by Marian Anderson who first successfully recorded it on the Victor label in 1925, although
the rendition by Louis Armstrong is the best known.
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
Sometimes I'm up
And sometimes I'm down
Yes, Lord, you know sometimes I'm almost to the ground
Oh, yes, Lord, still
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
If you get there before I do
Oh, yes, Lord, don't forget to
Tell all my friends I'm coming too
Oh, yes, Lord, still
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
Although you see me
Goin' on so, oh, yes
I have my trials here below
Oh, yes, LordNobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
(1) Why did Joseph change his mind and imprison only one of them and let the rest go?
(2) Joseph knew that his youngest brother and his father were starving at home. He should also know how grievous it would be for Jacob to allow Benjamin to come. Why did he choose to play games with the brothers?
(3) What did his tactic do to the brothers? Why would it remind them of their sin?
(4) What further insight into Joseph’s suffering was provided by the conversation among the brothers?
(5) What caused Joseph to weep?
(6) Why did Joseph choose to detain Simeon, the second oldest, and not Reuben, the oldest brother?
(7) How did Joseph’s action relate to the first dream he had remembered?
(8) As much as Joseph was teaching the brothers a lesson, what did he do to show his love for them?
(9) What then is the essential message of today and how may you apply it in your life?
Peter once asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matt. 18:21)
Peter’s question simply shows us that it is not easy to forgive one another. The main reason for his question appeared to be one of abuse. If we keep on forgiving my brother and he keeps committing the same offense against me, am I not perpetuating his sins?
But, the real reason, if we are being honest, is always our unwillingness to forgive our brother. Period.
Joseph, too, had found it hard to forgive his brothers right away. How Joseph eventually was able to forgive his brothers can be traced to his two dreams—i.e he realized that the dreams were coming to fulfillment and that must have helped him to accept his lot much more easily. However, his reunion with his brothers was too sudden. He never expected it. He had managed to forget his father’s household already (Gen. 41:51). This sudden encounter with his brothers only served to unravel all the past hurts which, in part, were brought upon him because of his dreams.
His subsequent actions could put the lives of his father’s household in jeopardy. Travel in those days was not safe. The severe famine would only increase the danger of robbery. His putting the silver back into his brothers’ sacks would have meant that they would not dare to return again. Only because of God’s providence, all his plans worked out perfectly to achieve His purpose which was the salvation of his whole family.
I believe that as much as Joseph found it hard to instantly forgive his brothers, his heart gradually softened: He changed his mind from detaining nine of them and letting one return to just the opposite; he wept as he heard the confession of his brothers and realized that Reuben had in fact tried to save him. Eventually, he had come to understand that it was God’s purpose in sending him down to Egypt for the sake of saving the entire family of his father.
As Joseph gradually learned to forgive, he received healing for his past hurts in the process. When his forgiveness was complete, so was his healing.
What about you? Have you received your complete healing yet?
(1) What did the discovery of the silver in their sacks mean to the brothers? Why did they tremble and their hearts sink?
(2) V. 28 records the first time these brothers mentioned the name of God in the entire scenario. What might they mean by “What is this that God has done to us?”
(3) What did Joseph promise them if they could prove their story to be true?
(4) How did Jacob respond to their dilemma? Why did he consider Simeon no more? What did he intend to do for Simeon?
(5) What did Reuben offer to his father and why?
(6) Why did Jacob say that Benjamin “is the only one left”?
(7) Why did he not accept the offer of Reuben, his oldest son?
(8) In self-pity, Jacob exclaimed, “Everything is against me.” Have you ever found yourself feeling the same?
(9) In Jacob’s dilemma, what should he have done? What would you have done?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
Someone, presumably an expert, writes, “Self-pity is an extreme form of egocentrism, and usually a result of a very selfish perspective of the world. People who regularly engage in self-pity are miserable, and they tend to make others quite unhappy, too.” I cannot agree more with the author.
Jacob was a typical example.
As the family faced severe famine, he sent his sons to buy food from Egypt, and they did return with food, but minus Simeon. He also heard the threat of the unknown Egyptian in-charge who demanded to see his youngest son, Benjamin,. Without him, they would not be able to get Simeon back, nor have a further supply of food.
At this, Jacob put the blame squarely on his children, saying, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me.” (Gen. 42:36)
Inadvertently, though, he spoke the truth. These ten brothers did contribute to his loss of Joseph, but that was the extent of their fault.
He and his family did face a very severe famine, but so did everyone in the region.
Simeon was in captivity. But his fate now depended on Jacob, and not on the brothers.
Whether Benjamin would go was also entirely up to him. He would decide not only on the fate of Benjamin, but that of his entire family. Almost seventy lives, including those of his young grandchildren, depended on his decision (Gen. 46:27).
His love of one son, Benjamin, was enough for him to put all the lives of his family into jeopardy. Instead of taking the necessary action to save his entire family, he simply resorted to self-pity by saying, “Everything is against me!”
Had he faced greater challenges than this in his life? Of course he had — running for his life without a penny in his pocket; and facing the brother whom he cheated with his entourage of several hundred men!
How was he able to overcome these challenges? By putting his trust in God who unmistakably promised him time after time of his blessing upon him, not only in terms of the giving of the Promised Land, but the multiplying of his descendants (35:11-12).
Yes, he was now being put between a rock and a hard place, but instead of seeking God’s face as he had begun to learn to do, he chose self-pity.
Yes, it is a form of egocentrism. Only he and his own favorite son mattered to him and it certainly was a result of a very selfish perspective of the world. The rest of the family did not count. God and His covenantal plan were not important to him at all.
Yes, he was miserable and had made others around him even more miserable!
When Elizabeth Elliot lost her missionary husband who was killed by the native Auca Indians whom he sought to evangelize, she went into depression. This is what she wrote afterward, “Then I try to refuse self-pity. I know of nothing more paralyzing, more deadly, than self-pity. It is a death that has no resurrection, a sink-hole from which no rescuing hand can drag you because you have chosen to sink. But it must be refused.” She went on to complete the unfinished work of her husband and others among the Auca Indians in Ecuador.(1) Given what had happened, how did Jacob have the guts to ask the sons to go back to Egypt? How desperate was he?
(2) Simeon was held captive in Egypt, Reuben apparently had lost his credibility before his father (remember that he slept with his father’s concubine), and so Judah stepped up to speak, assuming unknowingly his role as the chosen heir of the Abrahamic Covenant. How did he succeed in convincing his father?
(3) In allowing Benjamin to go with them, what attitude did Jacob take that he did not have before?
(4) If Jacob chose to remember the various appearances and promises made to him by God, how would this have affected his attitude in dealing with the dire consequences of this severe famine?
(5) Why didn’t he remember or rely on God’s promises?
(6) What did he rely on now?
(7) What is the main message to you today?
"God uses the famine over which none has control to reduce mighty Egypt to save his people and exalt them. Joseph’s harsh speech is another severe mercy that God uses to punish, test, and teach the shattered family. At the beginning of the scene, Joseph is counted by the family as dead, and he himself makes no effort to return to them; Jacob continues to grieve the loss of Joseph and perhaps suspects his sons; the brothers can only 'look at each other' instead of acting together for their common good; and they suffer with a hidden guilty conscience. In sum, they are alienated from God and from one another.
"God, through the famine, initiates the saving process by forcing the family to confront their past, and each other. Joseph’s harshness also helps to heal the fracture and to restore the family to God. Simeon’s detention in Egypt reminds the ten brothers of how they treated Joseph, and for the first time they recognize the Moral Governor of the universe at work in their lives. Their consciences are awakened to confess their guilt (42:21-24) and to fear God (42:28). They take responsibility to retrieve Simeon from prison (42:19, 24) and to protect Benjamin from harm (42:37; see 43:1-45:28). Upon their return they show sensitivity to their father’s emotions by retelling their adventures in a way that will assuage his fears. The confession of their guilt causes Joseph to weep. The faith, the penitence, tender emotions, and loyalty that unite a family are now being fashioned. Through the famine Joseph comes to rule over Egypt and the sons of Israel become worthy to be called the people of God. Both God’s famine and Joseph’s harsh speech confront the brothers with life and death (42:18, 20). Through these severe mercies the fractured family is being healed."
(Excerpt from Waltke, Genesis, p.550)