Bible Study (6) - Joseph and His Brothers: Family Reconciliation - Genesis 42, 43 and 45 - November 17, 2024

 

Bible Study (6) – Joseph and His Brothers: Family Reconciliation – November 17, 2024

Forgiveness can lead to family healing and restoration.

Our focus scripture is Genesis 42, 43 and 45.

Enjoy and be blessed.

In last week’s study, Joseph’s brothers had sold him to a caravan of traders headed for Egypt.

Let’s fill in the gap. Let’s go back to where we left off last week’s study. Let’s read Genesis 37:29-37:

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. (Reuben was the eldest son of Jacob and Leah. He was trying to save Joseph from his brothers.) ³⁰ He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” ^[e] 31 So they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ³² They sent the long-sleeved robe to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”

They let their dad draw his own conclusion.

³³ His father recognized it. “It is my son’s robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!” ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards.

GOD had a plan for Joseph and GOD has a plan for every person.

Joseph was a model servant for Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife set eyes upon him, and he rejected her. Oh, my trouble in Egypt or was GOD at work?

Genesis 39:6 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. ⁷ After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”

⁸ But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority.^[d] 9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”

Joseph turned her down but what does she do?

Genesis 39: ¹⁰ Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her.^[e] 11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there.^[f] 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. ¹³ When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, ¹⁴ she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. ¹⁵ When he heard me screaming for help,^[g] he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

¹⁶ She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. ¹⁷ Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, ¹⁸ but when I screamed for help,^[h] he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

¹⁹ When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious ²⁰ and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So, Joseph was there in prison.

Oh my, Joseph was in prison for making the right decisions. Was he bitter with GOD or considered his plight directed by GOD?

Joseph in Prison – Oh my, or was it? Was he where GOD wanted him to be?

²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. ²² The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority,^[i] and he was responsible for everything that was done there. ²³ The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority,^[j] because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.

The LORD so orders our steps when HE has a plan for us and when we desire to serve HIM!

In Genesis 40, Joseph interprets dreams for the baker and wine steward (cupbearer).

In Genesis 41, the King asks Joseph to interpret his dream.

Genesis 41: ¹⁴ Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon.^[a] He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.

¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”

¹⁶ “I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”^[b]

Joseph told the truth – GOD holds the answer to our questions and HE reveals truth.

To whom or where do you seek answers to the questions life brings your way? Satan offers many sources but keep in mind, Satan is a deceiver and a liar. GOD is truth!

Let’s read Genesis 41:17-46:

¹⁷ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, ¹⁸ when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. ¹⁹ After them, seven other cows—weak, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. ²¹ When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up. ²² In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk. ²³ After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up. ²⁴ The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means.”

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. ²⁷ The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.

²⁸ “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹ Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. ³⁰ After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. ³¹ The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. ³² Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.

³³ “So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. ³⁵ Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food. ³⁶ The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”

Joseph Exalted

³⁷ The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants, ³⁸ and he said to them, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit^[c] in him?” ³⁹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands.^[d] Only I, as king,^[e] will be greater than you.” ⁴¹ Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.” ⁴² Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Make way!” ^[f] So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.” ⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On.^[g] And Joseph went throughout^[h] the land of Egypt.

Joseph’s Administration

⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt. (Much had taken place in Joseph’s life from 17 years old to 30 years old. But the key is, GOD directed Joseph’s life journey)

Joseph married and had a family. Life was good. But as GOD had revealed the severe famine came to that area.

GOD always preserves HIS chosen! Consider Israel today.

Let’s read Genesis 42:1 When Jacob learned there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other?

Why do you think they were looking at each other?

 ² Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.” ³ So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, “Something might happen to him.”

⁵ The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. ⁶ Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. ⁷ When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

“From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied.

⁸ Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. ⁹ Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness^[a] of the land.”

¹⁰ “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. ¹¹ “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.”

¹² “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

¹³ But they replied, “We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now^[b] with our father, and one is no longer living.”

¹⁴ Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken:^[c] ‘You are spies!’ ¹⁵ This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. ¹⁶ Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” ¹⁷ So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.

¹⁸ On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live. ¹⁹ If you are honest, let one of you^[d] be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. ²⁰ Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.

²¹ Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”

²² But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!” ^[e]

²³ They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. ²⁴ He turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. ²⁵ Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s silver to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. ²⁶ They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.

The Brothers Return Home

²⁷ At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver there at the top of his bag. ²⁸ He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?”

²⁹ When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: ³⁰ “The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. ³¹ But we told him, ‘We are honest and not spies. ³² We were twelve brothers, sons of the same^[f] father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ ³³ The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. ³⁴ Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’”

³⁵ As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

³⁶ Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

³⁷ Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care,^[g] and I will return him to you.”

³⁸ But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Genesis 43:1: Now the famine in the land was severe. ² When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

³ But Judah said to him, “The man specifically warned us, ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’ 

Jacob finally consents.

They return to Egypt for a great reveal.

Genesis 45:1-9:

Joseph Reveals His Identity

45 Joseph could no longer keep his composure in front of all his attendants,^[a] so he called out, “Send everyone away from me!” No one was with him when he revealed his identity to his brothers. ² But he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and also Pharaoh’s household heard it. ³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But they could not answer him because they were terrified in his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. ⁷ God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.^[b] 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

GOD so ordered the events in Joseph’s life for the preservation of many. JESUS willingly left HIS home in Heaven to come to earth to live as 100% human, subject to both sin and eternal death. But JESUS was obedient and did not sin and thus became the only acceptable sacrifice to GOD, HIS FATHER, for all sin.

But every person must accept the Passion of JESUS, HIS death upon the cross to pay in full for sin. How do we know that HE paid for sin in full? GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead to be the first fruit of the redeemed. Our part is to place our faith in JESUS and what HE alone did for all who place their faith in HIM are “born-again” in their human spirit to be eternally “Spirit-born” into GOD’S eternal Family.

⁹ “Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.”

Oh, what joy and relief must have spread over his brothers and the urgency to tell their father, Jocab the Joseph was alive in Egypt.

Oh my, but the truth will come out!

Genesis 50: ¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. ²¹ Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.^[b]

GOD unites and preserves HIS chosen. Reconciliation with GOD through faith in JESUS is eternal.

All who place their faith in JESUS are GOD’S chosen. All are confirmed and guaranteed life eternal by the indwelling Holy Spirit. If you have not asked JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for HIM to come into your heart, now is that moment. Be wise and accept JESUS as your Savior and ask HIM to be the LORD of your life. Ask HIM to lead you to the Bible teaching church or fellowship that can feed you Spiritually.

Blessings!!!