Disciples Church Bible Reading Plan

Joseph 4.13. 24

The testimony of Joseph is one of my favorites in the Bible. It stands to remind us that while our circumstances can be up and down in this life, God is with us and working all things according to His purpose and our good. 

We pick up the testimony of Joseph in Genesis 37, where we read that he has the favor of his father, Jacob. He was given a very special robe of many colors by the parents and given the gift of prophetic dreams. He is blessed and highly favored. 

But, things take a terrible turn for Joseph in the latter part of Genesis 37 when his brothers’ hatred and jealousy causes them to distance themselves from him and even plot to kill him. Thankfully, Rueben convinces them to not kill him. Still their anger and resentment propels them to throw him into a pit and then sell him to some traveling gypsies who would then sell him as a slave. Their father is broken when the brothers show him Joseph’s coat and deceive him into thinking that he had been killed by an animal.

In Genesis 39, we read that Joseph ends up in a great situation for a slave. He is sold to Potifer, Captain of Pharaoh’s guard, and he quickly earns Potifer’s trust and is appointed to oversee his entire house. What an amazing turn from such life-altering, horrible events. 

But, it doesn’t last long for things to go horribly bad again as Potifer’s wife lusts after Joseph and pursues him to sleep with her. When he tells her no, she screams out that he assaulted and raped her. This means the loss of everything good he had come to know as he is thrown into prison. 

Once again, Joseph lands in the worst of situations only to earn the favor of the chief jailor who ends up putting him in charge of the entire jail. Some time goes by and in Genesis 40, we read that Joseph is given the opportunity to interpret the dreams of the chief cupbearer and Pharaoh’s baker. Unfortunately, the baker’s negative interpretation proves true as he dies and the cupbearer’s positive interpretation proves true and he is restored to his position and freedom. 

But, after promising Joseph that he will mention him to Pharaoh, he forgets and Joseph spends another 2 years in jail. Wow! This one must have been so hard as his means to freedom are all but sure and then one week turns into two, turns into months and then years. He had every opportunity to start doubting God and just give up. But, he stayed faithful and vigilant which is good because what he was about to do and become nobody could have ever seen coming!

Pharaoh had a dream that was tormenting him and the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph so Pharaoh sent for him. Upon his arrival to stand before the highest power in the land, Joseph accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. 

In Genesis 41,we read that Pharaoh puts Joseph 2^nd in charge over all of Egypt to carry out the plan to prepare for the famine. Joseph runs things well in Egypt, even though Egypt worshiped Pharaoh as a god. Joseph was able to still honor and glorify the one true God in heaven with his faithful work and devotion to God. 

In Genesis 42, Jacob hears of Egypt selling their grain and sent the boys to buy some.

His brothers come to Egypt and Joseph recognizes them but they don’t recognize him. He calls them spies and throws them in jail. He then says for them to go and get their youngest brother and return to him to prove they are not spies and to buy the grain they need. Jacob is fearful he will lose another son, but lets Benjamin go with reservation. Upon their return, Joseph ends up revealing himself to his brothers. Pharaoh hears of this and provides the means for the entire family to be moved to Egypt. Finally, Jacob and Joseph die and are buried in their homeland in Canaan as requested. 

As we read the close of Genesis 50, we read Joseph’s request for them to take his bones to be buried in the Promised Land. Now, this is huge because even though Egypt had blessed Joseph and now his family had great success, this could not compare with the blessing of God. If he would have encouraged the Israelites to stay in Egypt, it would have shown disbelief in the promises of God. Instead, Joseph told the nation to take his bones with them when they left Egypt. He did not want his body to be buried in exile. He wanted to dwell in the Promised Land. This is awesome. 

Joseph had faith that God’s promises would prove true as he would bring them out of exile and into the Promised Land. 

This is why Joseph is mentioned in the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11. 

Hebrews 11:22 “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.” 

Patriarchs like Joseph are excellent examples of persevering faith for us not only because of how they lived their lives in faith, but also how they died in great faith too. May this be the case for you and me. 

As we consider Joseph’s journey through incredible hardship, betrayal, abandonment, false testimony, physical abuse and years in slavery or prison, we also recognize he had some incredible high points of his parents’ love and God’s giftedness, the chance to lead in Potifers house and in jail and, even more significant, being raised to lead the most powerful nation through the worst of times. Joseph was able to make the most of terrible turns. The truth is, Joseph survived and prospered through times we would have likely failed or given up in. Consider- which of these turns would have been the hardest for you?

But, also consider how he relied on God to get him through and never lost his faith. 

Our faith is truly strengthened when we don’t see a way out but we still trust in God and don’t lose hope.

The two huge things we learn from Joseph are: 

1. Instead of asking WHY, he asked God WHAT SHALL I DO NOW?

Romans 5:1-5 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And werejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but wealso rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

2. Trust God who is over all things and has a great plan for your life. 

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Genesis 45:4-8 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

And finally, the most important verse in Joseph’s testimony:

Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 

Let us trust in God no matter how bad our circumstances get. He is able and we are never done until we are dead. 

Don’t lose hope. Stay the course. Don’t ask God, “Why?” Ask God, “What shall I do now?” 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Psalm 105:1-22

Tell of All His Wondrous Works

105:1   Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
2   Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
3   Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
4   Seek the LORD and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
5   Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6   O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!


7   He is the LORD our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
8   He remembers his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9   the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
10   which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11   saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance.”


12   When they were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
13   wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
14   he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
15   saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”


16   When he summoned a famine on the land
    and broke all supply¹ of bread,
17   he had sent a man ahead of them,
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18   His feet were hurt with fetters;
    his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19   until what he had said came to pass,
    the word of the LORD tested him.
20   The king sent and released him;
    the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21   he made him lord of his house
    and ruler of all his possessions,
22   to bind² his princes at his pleasure
    and to teach his elders wisdom.

Footnotes

[1] 105:16 Hebrew staff

[2] 105:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome instruct

(ESV)

Genesis 50:1-26

50:1 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim;¹ it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

God’s Good Purposes

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people² should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

The Death of Joseph

22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own.³ 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Footnotes

[1] 50:11 Abel-mizraim means mourning (or meadow) of Egypt

[2] 50:20 Or a numerous people

[3] 50:23 Hebrew were born on Joseph’s knees

(ESV)

Genesis 45:1-28

Joseph Provides for His Brothers and Family

45:1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

16 When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, 18 and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ 19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Have no concern for¹ your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22 To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels² of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Footnotes

[1] 45:20 Hebrew Let your eye not pity

[2] 45:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

(ESV)

Genesis 41:1-36

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

41:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”¹ 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land² of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Footnotes

[1] 41:16 Or (compare Samaritan, Septuagint) Without God it is not possible to give Pharaoh an answer about his welfare

[2] 41:34 Or over the land and organize the land

(ESV)