Journey into Victorious Living: A Study of the Life of Joseph : simplebooklet.com

Other Bible Studies by Tommy C Higle Journey Of A Lifetime A 52 lesson survey of the entire Bible Journey From the Beginning Revised A 13 lesson study of Genesis 1 11 Journey Into Purpose A 13 lesson study of the life of Abraham Journey Into Intimacy With God Revised A 13 lesson study of the life of Moses Journey Into Righteous Living A 13 lesson study of the Ten Commandments Journey Into True Worship A 13 lesson study of the Tabernacle Journey Into God s Applause Revised A 13 lesson study of the life of David Journey Into Fearless Living A 13 lesson study of Joshua Journey From Despair To Delight A 13 lesson study of selected Psalms Journey Into Living Wisely In A Foolish World A 13 lesson study of selected Proverbs Journey Into Meaningful Living A 13 lesson study of Ecclesiastes Journey Into Renewal Revised A 13 lesson study of Nehemiah Journey Into Knowing God Revised A 13 lesson study of the names of God in the Old Testament Journey To The Cross A 26 lesson study of the four Gospels Journey with the Messiah A 52 lesson study of the gospel of Matthew Journey Into Experiencing the Power of Jesus A 26 lesson study of the gospel of Mark Journey Into Knowing Jesus A 26 lesson study of the gospel of John Journey Into Changing the World A 26 lesson study of Acts Journey Into Powerful Living A 13 lesson study of the life of Peter Journey From Religion To Relationship A 13 lesson study of the life of Paul Journey Into Living God s Way A 26 lesson study of Romans Journey Into Biblical Problem Solving A 26 lesson study of 1 Corinthians Journey Into Building Better Relationships A 13 lesson study of 1 Corinthians 13 Journey Into Liberated Living A 13 lesson study of Galatians Journey Into Spirit filled Living A 13 lesson study of Ephesians Journey Into Stress free Living A 13 lesson study of Philippians Journey Into Becoming All God Wants You To Be A 13 lesson study of Colossians Journey Into Defeating Discouragement A 13 lesson study of 1 Thessalonians Journey Into Steadfast Living A 13 lesson study of 2 Thessalonians 2 John and 3 John Journey Into Living the Gospel A 13 lesson study of 1 Timothy Journey To A Faithful Finish Revised A 13 lesson study of 2 Timothy Journey Into the Good Life A 13 lesson study of Titus and Philemon Journey Into Confident Living A 26 lesson study of Hebrews Journey Into Pleasing God Revised A 13 lesson study of Hebrews Eleven Journey Into Faith That Works A 13 lesson study of James Journey Into Triumphant Living A 13 lesson study of 1 Peter Journey Into Becoming An Authentic Christian A 13 lesson study of 2 Peter and Jude Journey Into Becoming A Contagious Christian A 13 lesson study of 1 John Journey Through Revelation A 26 lesson study of Revelation Journey Into Discipleship A 26 lesson study of the basics of the Christian faith Deepening Your Spiritual Roots A 7 lesson booklet for new believers Journey Through Spiritual Boot Camp A 13 lesson basic training for the Christian life Deepening Your Spiritual Roots For Kids A 6 lesson new believer booklet for children Journey Into Following Jesus A 13 lesson study of the twelve disciples Journey Into Blessed Living A 13 lesson study of the Beatitudes Journey Into Powerful Prayer A 13 lesson study of the Lord s Prayer Journey Into Christlikeness A 13 lesson study of the fruit of the Spirit Journey Into Overcoming Rising Above Life s Toughest Problems A 13 lesson study of life s problems Journey To Your Spiritual Gift Revised A 13 lesson study of spiritual gifts Journey Into The Spirit World Revised A 13 lesson study of the spirit world Journey Into The Spirit World Revised Student Edition A 7 lesson youth study of the spirit world Journey Into Kingdom Living A 13 lesson study of the parables Journey Into Oneness A premarital counseling guide Journey To A Maximum Marriage A counseling guide for married couples Journey Into Debt free Living A 6 lesson study on personal finance Journey Into Church Membership A 4 lesson basic study for Baptist churches Journey Into Believer Building A 7 lesson study of the one anothers in the New Testament Journey To The New Jerusalem A 7 lesson study of the Second Coming of Christ Journey Into Victorious Living KJV Edition Copyright 2009 by Tommy C Higle All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever except for brief quotations in printed reviews without the prior written consent of the publisher ISBN 978 1 934072 86 8 Spiralbound ISBN 978 1 934072 87 5 Loose leaf Printed in the United States of America by Tommy Higle Publishers Inc Original Drawings by Gerald Stone Denton TX Cover Photo from Photos com a division of Getty Images Cover Design by Jeremy Higle Marietta OK The Journey Series P O Box 416 Marietta OK 73448 1 800 635 5346 order JourneySeries com Scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version of the Bible The Journey Series is the registered trademark of Tommy Higle Publishers Inc Visit Our Website www JourneySeries com

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PREFACE I love to teach and preach biographies because it is so easy to find applications for life Some have examples to avoid but Joseph s life is a wonderful example to follow because he always tries to do God s will He wasn t a priest prophet national leader or king He was a business man much like a CPA who so impressed God that He devotes almost one third of the book of Genesis to his life Joseph experienced jealousy and betrayal from his brothers slavery false accusations resulting in imprisonment as well as being forgotten by people he befriended His response to all the injustices in his life makes him a wonderful example of how to have a journey into victorious living Publishing The Journey Series is a joint effort First I want to thank the wonderful people of Marietta s First Baptist Church who have supported me for twenty seven years They have patiently and lovingly listened to me preach and teach series on the same books or chapters of the Bible as many as three or four times as I am developing a Journey study I believe God will give them a special place in heaven for graciously serving as guinea pigs for these studies To everyone in our incredible church I say thanks for your support encouragement and love I am indebted to my wife Virginia a former English teacher and now administrator and editor in chief of The Journey Series for spending many hours correcting my grammatical errors and vague sentences A special thanks goes to the efficient staff and my wonderful friends at the Journey House Martha Greenwood Carolyn Gordon Patti Donaldson and Paula Chaney who do the collating shipping proofreading and hundreds of other things Jessica Wolfe bindery Shane Wolfe offset pressman and Holly Buxton proofreader Also thanks to Ada Bess Hill my secretary since 1982 for proofreading the original manuscripts and preparing them for our Wednesday Bible study sometimes with a deadline that gives her very little time A special thanks to Gerald Stone an architect and artist who always does such a wonderful unique job with the drawings for our studies May our Lord use this study to help you live victoriously Tommy Higle Pastor s Study Marietta Oklahoma July 2009 3

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SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR JOURNEY I HELPFUL MATERIALS 1 A good study Bible and reliable Bible dictionary Ask your pastor or teacher for help in this area 2 A lead pencil Don t use ink because you may want to change your answers II HINTS FOR PERSONAL STUDY 1 Pray for God s guidance before each session that your mind and heart will be receptive to God s message for you 2 Don t worry about scriptures you do not understand Simply concentrate on what God reveals to you in His Word for now and trust Him to make the vague things clearer as you continue to study 3 Mark the Bible verses that really speak to you 4 Read each lesson at least three times each week III HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CLASS TIME 1 Attend every class period 2 Arrive at least 10 minutes early to look over the lesson so you will have an idea of what will be covered during that session 3 Write down things you want to remember or you will probably forget them You increase your retention by 300 if you take notes 4 Pray for your teacher every day IV HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN THE LESSONS 1 Look up the scripture reference in your Bible Usually the answer is very simple and clear in that reference However sometimes there are questions that require thought so you must meditate over the verse or passage to find its meaning Answering the questions will become easier as the Bible comes to life to you during the study 2 Don t simply quote the scripture Write it in your own words as briefly as possible 3 Whenever possible personalize the scripture by using pronouns such as I me my mine etc 4 www.journeyseries.com

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SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR YOUR JOURNEY To get the most from this journey you must be spiritually prepared The basic preparation is knowing Jesus Christ as Lord boss and Savior so He can be your spiritual Guide on the journey If you have never received Him or if you are not sure there are four things you must understand 1 God loves you and wants you to have eternal life The Bible says For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3 16 The Bible also says But God commendeth proved his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Romans 5 8 2 You are sinful and your sin separates you from God The Bible says For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans 3 23 Sin separates us from God for the Bible says But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you Isaiah 59 2 3 Only in Jesus Christ can forgiveness of sin and salvation be yours Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me John 14 6 You must believe God loved us so much He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to provide the way of salvation and that on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead Rom 10 9 Right now you may be thinking I already believe these things Well the Bible teaches it is not a matter of just believing for the devils also believe and tremble James 2 19b Simply believing Adolf Hitler lived and died doesn t make you a Nazi and believing Jesus Christ lived and died doesn t make you a Christian You must act upon what you believe 4 You must repent and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior It is not enough to agree that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross for your sins and rose again You must repent of your sins Jesus said to be saved you must repent and believe the gospel Mark 1 15 Repent means to turn away from your selfishness and sin and turn control of your life over to Jesus Christ If you sense your need to repent of your sins and be saved that is the Holy Spirit drawing you to Christ Jesus said no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him John 6 44 If you will pray the following prayer right now or pray in your own words telling God you are repenting of your sins and inviting Jesus Christ into your heart you can receive Him today as your Lord and Savior The words are not as important as what you mean in your heart Jesus said a man at the temple simply prayed God be merciful to me a sinner and went to his house justified or saved Luke 18 1314 Dear Lord I know I have sinned Right now I repent of my sins and ask for Your forgiveness I ask Jesus to be my Lord to control my life and to help me become the person You want me to be Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross so I could be forgiven Amen Now share your decision with your pastor or teacher Scriptures from KJV 6

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 1 When Life Is the Pits Genesis 37 1 36 How can we be victorious over feelings of revenge bitterness and hatred How can we find victory in the midst of life s problems and adversity We find out in the life of Joseph God uses onefourth of the book of Genesis chps 37 50 to record Joseph s life Why does God record his life in such detail Undoubtedly it is because we can all easily identify with so much of his life Joseph has to deal with much adversity including envy injustice temptation family problems false accusations etc He is the role model for our journey into victorious living Joseph is a wonderful example of what fact found in 1 John 5 4b ____________________________________________________________ Joseph is the great grandson of Abraham grandson of Isaac and the son of Jacob Israel Joseph is now seventeen years old as we begin our study of his life 37 2 In this section of Joseph s life we can find three things we should do when life is the pits First is Refuse to be envious 37 2 22 We meet Joseph as he brings his father an evil report 37 2 concerning his half brothers Joseph has only one full brother Benjamin who is less than a year old at this time Joseph and Benjamin are Jacob s sons by his beloved wife Rachel for whom he worked fourteen years 29 16 28 We are not told the details of the report but this incident reveals Joseph would not go along with anything bad or hide things from his father He was a faithful and honorable son The first recorded adversity in Joseph s life is the result of favoritism shown him by his father Jacob who loved Joseph more than his other children Jacob s special love stems from Joseph being born to Jacob in his old age to his favorite wife As a token of his love for Joseph Jacob makes him a coat of many colours 37 3 This multi colored coat KUTTNET keth oh neth reached to the wrists and ankles It was a type of coat worn by royalty not intended for manual laborers This gift clearly reveals to Joseph s brothers that he is favored by his father As a result what do we read about his brothers in Genesis 37 4b ____________________________________________________________ Also Joseph has a dream that implies he will one day reign over his family Being young and na ve Joseph shares his dream with his brothers This only adds to their resentment of him 37 5 8 Joseph continues to 7 NOTES

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have dreams about his family bowing down before him therefore his brothers are envious and hate him more and more 37 9 11 One particular day Joseph s brothers are feeding Jacob s flock Concerned about his sons Jacob sends Joseph to check on them 37 12 14 When his brothers see him at a distance what happens according to Genesis 37 18b ____________________________________________________________ The brothers decide to kill Joseph put him into a pit and tell their father he was eaten by a wild animal They then say we shall see what will become of his dreams 37 20 However the eldest brother Reuben intervenes and suggests that killing Joseph is excessive He proposes they just put Joseph into a pit and let nature take its course Reuben offers this plan so he can return later to rescue Joseph and take him back to his father 37 21 22 Years later in Egypt when Joseph learns about Reuben saving his life he is moved to tears 42 22 24 From time to time we all face the temptation to feel envious when we see someone receive an honor promotion or blessing we think is undeserved At those times we must be very careful because of what ominous warning in James 3 16 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ When life is the pits it s tempting to look at others whose lives seem to be going great and be envious of their blessings Therefore when you are in the pits refuse to be envious and Reflect on the long term 37 23 35 Following Reuben s suggestion Joseph s brothers strip him of his robe and throw him into a dry pit 37 23 24 With Joseph in the pit his brothers sit down to eat a meal Though not recorded here we later discover Joseph pleads for his life 42 21 So as the brothers sit down to eat they can hear Joseph nearby begging for his life When life is the pits and you feel like no one cares the pit just seems to become deeper and darker You are ill and no one calls You have marital problems and can t find a compassionate ear A loved one dies and you feel forgotten At those times you may experience Psalm 69 20b Write it below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 8

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However an even worse situation is knowing someone else is in the pits and not doing something to let them know you care The Christian life is not just praying memorizing scriptures attending Bible study and worship services etc Jesus said If ye love me keep my commandments Jn 14 15 How do we keep all of Christ s commands How does Galatians 6 2 answer that question ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ As Joseph s brothers with the exception of Reuben are eating their meal and ignoring Joseph s pleas they see a caravan of Ishmaelites approaching Ishmaelites also called Midianites are descendants of Abraham through Hagar These traders have camels loaded with goods and are headed for Egypt 37 25 Judah suggests they sell Joseph to them Why should they kill him when there is more profit in selling him Therefore they sell Joseph for twenty pieces or about eight ounces of silver 37 26 28 When life is the pits things sometimes get worse before they get better as in the life of Joseph For days he travels as a slave of the Ishmaelites He probably lies under the stars at night looking toward heaven and wondering why God is allowing this to happen to him Joseph needs a word from God but God is silent I m sure Joseph feels like the psalmist in Psalm 22 2 Write it below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Reuben has no part in selling Joseph Therefore when he returns to the pit and finds Joseph is gone he tears his clothes in grief To cover up their evil deeds the brothers kill a goat and dip Joseph s coat in the blood They bring the coat back to their father telling him they found the coat and wonder if it is Joseph s As they expect Jacob recognizes the coat Assuming wild animals have killed Joseph Jacob mourns for many days He is so overcome with grief none of his children can console him 37 31 35 Things look hopeless for Joseph However when life is the pits refuse to be envious reflect on the long term and Rely on God s promises 37 36 In Egypt the Midianites sell Joseph to Potiphar one of Pharaoh s officials who is the captain of the guard 37 36 This means Potiphar is the commanding officer of the royal bodyguards like the Secret Service agents 9

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who guard the President of the United States Joseph doesn t know God is placing him in a strategic location for fulfilling His purpose for his life When the Lord had earlier promised the land of Canaan to Abraham s descendants He told Abraham they would be strangers in a land not their own 15 13a What else did God tell him in Genesis 15 13b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ There is no way Joseph can understand God s good purpose at the time Just as God has a good reason for allowing Joseph s life to be the pits the same is true when our lives are the pits Joseph s life is an illustration of a wonderful promise for us to remember when life is the pits It is so familiar that if I just mention the reference you can probably quote the verse But it is not enough just to quote it We must believe it The promise is And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom 8 28 This verse doesn t say all things that happen to us are good they are not It doesn t say God causes all things to happen to us He doesn t However it does say God uses all things that happen in our lives even the very bad things and causes good to come out of them Romans 8 28 cannot be properly understood without the first phrase of the next verse What does Romans 8 29a tell us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ When life is the pits God is sculpting our lives with the hammer of adversity to make us more and more like Jesus Christ Because God worked in Joseph s life when we are in the pits we can be assured that in His time God will bring something good out of our adversity too We can be confident God will keep what wonderful promise in Psalm 34 17 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ When life is the pits refuse to be envious reflect on the long term and rely on God s promises 10

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 2 How To Terminate Temptation Genesis 39 1 23 Now we come to one of the most famous temptations recorded in the Bible Temptation is inevitable for all of us There are no exceptions for even Jesus Christ was tempted Lk 4 2 However what does Hebrews 4 15b tell us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Through His example of resisting temptation Jesus helps us learn to overcome our own temptations Jesus quoted scriptures Mt 4 4 7 10 therefore we must know the Bible One portion of Scripture we need to know is Genesis 39 because it contains three principles we must follow to terminate temptation First is Emulate Joseph s integrity 39 1 6 In our previous lesson we saw Joseph envied by his brothers who sold him into slavery The slave traders take him to Egypt where Potiphar the captain of Pharaoh s guards buys him 39 1 Joseph advances rapidly in Potiphar s household but the important thing is why We find the reason in phrases like the LORD was with Joseph and the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand 39 2 3 As a result what happens 39 5b ____________________________________________________________ Potiphar simply observes Joseph and discovers he is an honest hardworking man Therefore he trusts Joseph with everything and doesn t even know what he has except for the food he eats 39 5 6 However Joseph s advancement also results from the fact he doesn t act holier than thou even though he is working for a pagan Because of Joseph the Lord s blessings are on all of Potiphar s possessions Joseph is an example of how God expects every Christian to work even in circumstances that are far from ideal Even when working for an unbeliever we need to remember what command in Colossians 3 23 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means Christians should not goof off at work come in late leave early or take longer than allotted breaks and lunch hours Working in a 11 NOTES

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place where there is vulgarity or favoritism doesn t excuse us from following Joseph s example Joseph is a very successful business manager accountant and CFO all rolled into one However what else do we discover in Genesis 39 6c ____________________________________________________________ As always with great success and good looks come great temptations To terminate temptation we must emulate Joseph s integrity and Eliminate tempting situations 39 7 12 Joseph s good looks do not escape the eye of Mrs Potiphar Therefore one day what does she command her husband s slave to do 39 7 ____________________________________________________________ Young Joseph is no doubt startled at this order from his master s wife She could be a formidable ally as a lover or a vicious enemy if he refuses However because Joseph is a man of integrity he does refuse and reminds Mrs Potiphar of how her husband has trusted him with everything he owns He also tells her how kind Potiphar has been to him by keeping nothing from him except his wife 39 8 9 Therefore what does Joseph say to Mrs Potiphar according to Genesis 39 9c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ We are most vulnerable to temptation when we think we have arrived we are finally successful For example Noah didn t give in to temptation until after the Flood King David didn t fall into sin with Bathsheba until after he led the weak rivaling tribes of Israel to become the most powerful nation in that part of the world Another time the Evil One tempts us very severely is when we take a big step in our spiritual lives For example immediately after Jesus baptism what happened Matthew 4 1 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Temptation is also very hard to resist when it is constant The Devil knows we have weak moments therefore he keeps up the pressure trying to exploit us during those times Mrs Potiphar keeps tempting Joseph day by day to go to bed with her 39 10 Not only does Joseph refuse to go to bed with her but what else does he do 39 10d ____________________________________________________________ 12

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This means he would not even be in her company To terminate temptation we must stay away from places and situations where temptation is likely to be strong Don t share your problems with a co worker of the opposite gender Most affairs begin because someone feels he or she can talk to someone of the opposite gender who seems to understand them Young people shouldn t go to parties where drinking drugs and other behavior likely to lead to pre marital sex are present Finally Mrs Potiphar thinks she has the perfect opportunity one day when she is home alone with Joseph who is there doing his work Therefore she grabs him by his coat and says Lie with me 39 12a What is Joseph s response 39 12b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The Bible tells us all of our temptations are common This means there are no new temptations no new sins It also tells us God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear 1 Cor 10 13 Then what do we read in the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 10 13 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ If we are committed to the Lord He will always provide a way out when we are tempted Sometimes a simple no will do At other times continued resistance is required Then there are times when radical action must be taken and like Joseph we must leave There are times when we must flee or fall Though Joseph has no Bible he knows God s heart and therefore he flees To terminate temptation we must emulate Joseph s integrity eliminate tempting situations and Concentrate on God s purpose 39 13 23 Enraged by the fact she only got Joseph s garment Mrs Potiphar concocts a story She tells her servants Joseph tried to rape her and when she screamed he ran out of the house She keeps Joseph s garment as evidence until she can tell Potiphar her lies 39 13 16 When telling Potiphar her story she doesn t call Joseph by name What does she call him 39 17 ____________________________________________________________ She does this to imply to Potiphar he has the power to dispose of Joseph 13

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any way he wishes After hearing his wife s lies Potiphar burns with anger and without a proper investigation has Joseph put into prison with the king s prisoners 39 19 20 It is only because of the protection of the Lord that Potiphar doesn t have Joseph executed Joseph loses his position and all he has worked so hard for but he does not lose God s approval This is because though Joseph never read it in his heart he agrees with what statement in Psalm 84 10b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means it is better to have the lowest place in God s house than to live in the lavish tents of the wicked The Lord is with Joseph in prison and he gains favor in the eyes of the prison warden Because of the Lord s mercy and Joseph s transparent honesty and integrity Joseph is put in charge of the other prisoners and all the affairs of the prison 39 21 22 Despite the murderous intentions of his brothers and the wrath of a powerful scorned seductress the Lord s purpose for Joseph s life prevails This is a wonderful example of what promise in Psalm 138 8a ____________________________________________________________ This means the Lord will accomplish His purpose for my life He always finishes what He begins in our lives Philip 1 6 When Joseph is placed in charge of the prison there are no more worries for the warden because the Lord gives Joseph success in everything he does 39 23 The Bible teaches that when you are tempted you are not at the mercy of people pressure or passions Instead there is only one thing that can cause you to give in to temptation What is it according to James 1 14 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means yielding to temptation is an inside job something we decide to do However to terminate temptation we must emulate Joseph s integrity eliminate tempting situations and concentrate on God s purpose 14

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 3 When Life Seems Like a Prison Genesis 40 1 23 Joseph s journey has taken him from the pit to prosperity to prison Just as it seemed Joseph s life was getting better everything fell apart again and he lost everything Like Joseph we all go through times when life seems like a prison It may not be a prison with bars locks and guards but it is a prison just the same Sometimes we feel like David hiding in a cave when King Saul was trying to kill him How does David express his utterly helpless feelings in Psalm 142 7a ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Our prisons may be career prisons financial prisons relationship prisons or health prisons When we find ourselves in one of life s prisons we need to follow Joseph s example and do four things Don t give up 40 1 8 While in prison Joseph did not lose heart but faithfully continued doing his work He was therefore put in charge of the prison 39 22 When we find ourselves in a prison it s easy to feel sorry for ourselves and have a pity party Joseph could have done that After all he had been totally faithful to God He had bounced back when his life was literally the pits He had kept his integrity when faced with temptation Now he finds himself in prison because of the false accusations of a seductress Mrs Potiphar Though Joseph never heard or read this verse he knows the truth of what wonderful promise in Galatians 6 9 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ During this time Pharaoh s chief butler and chief baker offend him and are put in prison with Joseph The two are assigned to Joseph who serves them The butler and baker each have a troubling dream one night The next day Joseph asks why they look sad and they tell him they have no one to interpret their dreams Joseph says to them interpretations belong to God and then asks them to tell him their dreams 40 1 8 Did you notice Joseph s humility in giving God the credit for his gift of interpreting dreams Humility is one of the key reasons God blesses Joseph so much in the future Joseph does not become bitter or think he 15 NOTES

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doesn t deserve to be in prison When he later becomes the second most powerful man in the world he doesn t let power go to his head He is a wonderful example of what divine truth in 1 Peter 5 6 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ We need to remember life is a series of tests and one of the greatest tests is when life seems like a prison It occurs when we have a problem that won t go away A flat tire or the twenty four hour flu is annoying but not much of a test However when we have a long term problem that doesn t seem to go away then we find out what kind of faith we really have Therefore when life seems like a prison don t give up and Do your part 40 9 15 The butler tells Joseph his dream first In his dream he sees a vine with three branches that produce grapes Joseph tells the butler this means in three days he will be restored to his position with the king Then Joseph asks the butler to remember him and show him kindness by mentioning him to the Pharaoh 40 9 14 Joseph then tells him he was forcibly taken out of the land of the Hebrews and has done nothing to deserve being in prison 40 15 Joseph s request makes it clear he desperately wants out of prison as soon as possible He has the same frustrations and heartaches we do when life seems like a prison Joseph was trusting in the Lord but he was also doing all he could to get out of prison When we find ourselves in prison we shouldn t just sit back and pray Lord get me out of here Many people try to hide their laziness when they are in a prison by saying things like Well I m praying about it and just waiting for the Lord to work it out We should do everything we can to get out of our prisons as we trust the Lord to do what only He can do When life seems like a prison we need to remember what fact in Proverbs 13 4 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means the sluggard or lazy person doesn t get what he wants because he is unwilling to work for it On the other hand the diligent or hard worker will prosper and be satisfied Sometimes getting out of a prison requires a lot of hard work while we trust the Lord to bless our efforts When life seems like a prison don t give up do your part and 16

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Be faithful to God s Word 40 16 19 Encouraged by the butler s good news the baker asks Joseph to interpret his dream In this dream the baker was carrying three baskets on his head The top one was filled with baked goods he had prepared for the king Birds were eating his baked goods from the top basket Joseph explains the three baskets represent three days 40 16 18 Then what does Joseph tell the baker the dream means 40 19 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Here we see Joseph s courage in faithfully relaying an unpleasant message from God As followers of Christ we must follow Joseph s example in delivering God s message There are times we might be tempted to water down God s Word However we must be faithful to the entire Bible including areas concerning family sexual immorality honesty and all other issues We must never forget what command Paul gives young Timothy 2 Timothy 4 2a b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means we must be faithful to preach and teach God s Word not only when it is popular but also when it is not You may not be a preacher but you proclaim God s Word every day by your convictions and by the way you live When life seems like a prison don t give up do your part be faithful to God s Word and Trust God s timing 40 20 23 Three days after Joseph interprets the dreams Pharaoh has a royal party to celebrate his birthday and invites his officials For such a grand party he needs his chief butler and chief baker so they are released from prison Joseph s interpretations come true and the butler is restored to his place of service The baker apparently prepares some baked goods that greatly disappoint Pharaoh embarrassing him before his royal officials Whatever the reason the chief baker is hanged as Joseph predicted 40 20 22 Joseph patiently waits in prison expecting the butler to mention him to Pharaoh The days turn into weeks the weeks into months and he remains in prison because the chief butler forgets about Joseph 40 23 17

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There are at least two attributes that help Joseph through his prison experience We also need these attributes when life seems like a prison Both are the result of trusting God s timing 1 Peace In Joseph s life we never see any sign of bitterness resentment revenge or self pity because he is always at peace in his heart He has peace because he knows there is no prison lock God cannot pick God is the divine Master Locksmith in all of life s prisons When we lose sight of this fact we lose our peace and our hearts fill with sinful emotions We start looking for someone to blame and then bitterness resentment or revenge fills our hearts No doubt Joseph in spite of all his problems can sleep well at night because he knows he is safe in God s hands We can too because of what truth found in Psalm 4 8 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit like we do as believers So not only does God show us an example to follow in Joseph but He also gives us divine empowerment According to Galatians 5 22 what is the third component of the fruit of the Spirit ____________________________________________________________ When the Holy Spirit is producing His fruit in our lives it will show up in the form of peace even in the prisons of life Peace is always followed by the second attribute we need 2 Patience Because Joseph has peace he patiently waits on the Lord for his release from prison That s why the component of the fruit of the Spirit that follows peace is longsuffering or patience Gal 5 22 Patience is difficult because we are not accustomed to waiting We use microwaves for instant food remote controls for instant entertainment and cell phones for instant communication Therefore sometimes we tend to view prayer as a button to push when we want God to do something immediately Our prison experience becomes even harder to bear if we think we can pray a prayer or quote a Bible verse and God will jump to perform our desires Instead what does Psalm 27 14 tell us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ If your life seems like a prison don t give up do your part be faithful to God s Word and trust God s timing 18

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 4 Getting the Most Out of Life Genesis 41 1 57 We do not know how long Joseph was kept in prison but we do know he was there for two years after he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh s chief butler and baker 41 1 For two long uneventful years in prison Joseph waits on the Lord Why Peter says we should rejoice when we experience manifold temptations or trials because they reveal the genuineness of our faith which is of greater value than gold that will some day perish When our faith remains strong through trials it results in praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet 1 6 7 Joseph s time in prison was not pleasant Even though he was in charge of running the affairs of the prison he was still a prisoner unable to come and go as he pleased His life in prison was much different than that of Pharaoh s butler and baker whom Joseph was assigned to serve Psalm 105 tells us about Joseph s imprisonment release and rise to power What does verse 18 tell us about his imprisonment ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ After two long years the Lord causes Pharaoh to have two dreams In the first Pharaoh is standing on the bank of the Nile River Seven fat healthy cows suddenly come out of the river and start grazing on the river bank Then seven ill looking malnourished cows come out of the river and eat the fat ones After this Pharaoh wakes up 41 1 4 He falls back asleep and has another dream in which he sees seven heads of grain on one stalk with each head well formed and plump Seven more heads shriveled and withered suddenly appear on the stalk They swallow up the plump heads of grain and again Pharaoh wakes up 41 5 7 When Pharaoh can find no one to interpret his dreams his butler remembers guess who Joseph Therefore he tells Pharaoh about Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams 41 8 13 Why did all this happen How does Proverbs 21 1 answer this question ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ In the events that follow we learn two actions we must take to get the most out of life We must plan and ban 19 NOTES

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Plan for the future 41 14 36 After hearing the testimony of his chief butler Pharaoh sends for Joseph Joseph shaves changes his clothes and goes to stand before Pharaoh Pharaoh tells Joseph he has heard he can interpret dreams 41 14 15 Joseph tells Pharaoh It is not in me God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace 41 16 Joseph makes it clear God shall give him the ability to interpret Pharaoh s dreams This is an example of what principle found in 1 Corinthians 10 31 by which we are to live ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Like Joseph whatever gifts or talents we have come from God Therefore if we are skilled at sports math music computers politics teaching etc we should use our gifts and talents for the glory of God Pharaoh then tells Joseph about his two dreams concerning the cows and stalks of grain 41 17 24 Joseph explains the two dreams have the same meaning There will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine He also tells Pharaoh the reason he had two dreams with the same meaning is God has decreed these events will happen soon Joseph then suggests Pharaoh find the wisest man in the land and put him in charge of a nationwide program of storing twenty percent of the food produced during the seven good years This plan would provide enough food for the seven years of famine 41 29 36 Many verses in the book of Proverbs teach us that planning ahead is part of being wise For example we are told to consider the ways of the ant Prov 6 6 According to Proverbs 6 8 what are we to learn from the ant ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Like ants we should plan for the future in our finances careers retirement etc We should also plan our schedules so we can spend time with our spouses kids and grandkids To get the most out of life plan for the future and Ban the pain of the past 41 37 57 Pharaoh is so impressed with Joseph s plan he appoints him to be in charge of the entire land of Egypt Then he places his ring on Joseph s finger This ring was used to make an impression in soft clay or wax of 20

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Pharaoh s seal on official documents It gives Joseph the power and authority of Pharaoh He also provides Joseph with new clothes and a gold chain for his neck In addition Pharaoh has Joseph ride in his second chariot so people will pay homage to him Finally he gives Joseph an Egyptian name and a wife from the prestigious priestly family of On Pharaoh is making his best effort to egyptianize Joseph Joseph is now thirty years old so thirteen years have passed since his brothers sold him into slavery God used these years of adversity to accelerate Joseph s maturity and hone his character 41 37 46 Adversity accelerates our spiritual growth Joseph s problems were not a chain of events generated by bad luck The pit Potiphar s wife and the prison were all part of God s plan for developing Joseph s character Why did God allow Joseph to become a slave and a prisoner before elevating him to become the second most powerful man in the world How does Jesus explain why in Luke 16 10a ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph was faithful as a slave and a prisoner so no doubt he will be faithful as prime minister of the most powerful nation on earth The next seven years produce so much grain that storage bins are overflowing because the grain was like the sand of the sea Joseph wisely stores the grain in various cities throughout Egypt so it will be accessible to everyone in the land 41 47 49 Before the years of famine arrive Joseph has two sons to whom he gives Hebrew names revealing his faith in Jehovah God to keep His promises He names his firstborn son Manasseh which means forget Joseph chooses this name because he is willing to forget the wrongs he had suffered and the misery of being separated from his family 41 51 Does this mean Joseph has forgotten the pit Potiphar s wife and the prison Has he forgotten the betrayal the false accusations the humiliation and the loneliness No He could never forget all those things but he chooses to forget the pain and refuses to harbor any bitterness or hatred in his heart toward anyone Joseph is able to do this because he knows two things First you can t change the past Second it is God s place to avenge Joseph didn t have a Bible so he could not have read this verse Yet because he knows God s heart he also knows God s words found in Romans 12 19c Write them below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 21

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We must remember it is impossible to enjoy our present blessings if we are unwilling to forget past pain and hurt Joseph names his second son Ephraim 41 52 which means doubly fruitful Joseph knows no one can be fruitful until they are willing to forgive Forgive first and then God can bless your life You cannot be happy in the present no matter what your blessings unless you are willing to forget past pain and forgive those responsible When the seven years of abundant harvest end the seven bad years arrive and they are very severe The famine even extends outside the borders of Egypt to other countries who have not prepared for it Therefore bordering countries come to buy grain in Egypt 41 53 57 God is setting the stage for the next episode of Joseph s life Joseph teaches us the truth that getting the most out of life comes from a willingness to forgive He is a wonderful example of what promise in Psalm 106 3 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph did what was righteous when he willingly forgot the pain of the past After I graduated from high school I worked at a gas station in Caddo Oklahoma During this time I learned many valuable things about working with the public At closing time each evening the owner would carefully check the cash register tape for the recorded sales of the day mark it and then file it away The register kept a running total of the gallons of gasoline sold that day as well as the money put into the drawer The last thing we did each night before closing was push the clear button Then we could begin the next day fresh and undistracted by the previous day s transactions Forgetting the pain of the past is like that We have to clear our mental register of past transactions which include hurts that will result in bitterness and even hatred if carried over Sometimes the hurtful transactions are hidden in our hearts because we have ignored them so long Therefore we must pray Search me O God and know my heart Psa 139 23a Then we need to pray what prayer found in Psalm 139 24 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Getting the most out of life requires we plan and ban plan for the future and ban the pain of the past 22

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 5 Maintaining a Clear Conscience Genesis 42 1 38 Have you ever done something wrong and then your conscience made you miserable Not having a clear conscience is very troubling That s why we need to know how to maintain a clear conscience Because of Joseph s God given ability to interpret Pharaoh s dreams he was elevated to prime minister of Egypt He is now in a position to sell grain to countries surrounding Egypt 41 57 Therefore the scene moves from Egypt to Canaan where there is also severe famine When Jacob Joseph s father learns there is food in Egypt he sends his sons to buy grain so they will not starve However he does not send his youngest son Benjamin because he does not want to risk losing his only other son by his beloved wife Rachel 42 1 5 This famine has set into motion a chain of events that fulfill God s purpose for Joseph s trials Joseph s brothers will soon discover what truth found in Proverbs 19 21 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ In this passage we find three requirements for maintaining a clear conscience Allow God time to change people 42 6 24a When Joseph s brothers arrive in Egypt they stand in line to buy food directly from Joseph 42 6 The direct contact with Joseph is part of God s providence because they could have purchased grain in many other cities 41 48 49 Joseph was sold into slavery at age seventeen and was a slave and prisoner for thirteen years It is now at least two years into the famine so it has been about twenty years since his brothers have seen him If you have ever been to a twenty year high school reunion you know how much people can change in twenty years It is then you may be glad God didn t answer all your prayers Joseph s appearance has changed tremendously not to mention his speech and clothing are now Egyptian When the brothers come before Joseph what does Genesis 42 6c record ____________________________________________________________ This is a fulfillment of Joseph s dream recorded in Genesis 37 9 10 Imagine what must have gone through Joseph s mind when he recognizes his 23 NOTES

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cruel brothers He now has the perfect opportunity to get even He could refuse to sell them grain or even have them immediately executed However Joseph decides to test them to see if they have changed Therefore he pretends he doesn t know them and speaks harshly to them He asks where they are from and they say they are from Canaan and need to buy food Joseph s brothers do not recognize him because he has changed and is speaking through an interpreter 42 23 Next Joseph accuses them of spying for Egypt s enemies to see where Egypt is vulnerable to attack 42 7 9 His brothers vehemently deny being spies and tell him they are twelve brothers the sons of one man in the land of Canaan Then what do they tell him in Genesis 42 13b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph now has all the information he needs to continue with his plan to analyze their hearts He tells them he still believes they are spies but for proof of their claims he demands one of them go get their youngest brother while the other brothers are kept in prison He then takes them all into custody for three days 42 14 17 Joseph knows nothing reveals our true character like the condition of our conscience If his brothers repeat their sin then they are hopelessly evil However if at great possible peril to themselves they protect their youngest brother Joseph will know they have changed Joseph is impressing upon them the extent of his awesome power over them His plan is designed to reveal their real attitude toward Benjamin his only full brother After they spend three days in his custody he revises his plan He tells them only one of them will be kept in prison while the rest go home and return with their youngest brother so their story can be verified 42 19 20 It is important to note that as they discuss their dilemma what do they think is the cause of their peril They believe they are being punished for what they did to Joseph Now the oldest Reuben says Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin against the child and ye would not hear Therefore behold also his blood is required 42 22 Because Joseph always speaks to them through an interpreter they do not know he understands what they are saying in Hebrew 42 23 When he hears his brothers struggling with their consciences and their belief that God is punishing them for what they did to him Joseph cannot contain his emotions Therefore what does he do 42 24a ____________________________________________________________ He is releasing twenty years of hurt pain loneliness homesickness etc The Bible records six times that Joseph weeps sometimes uncontrollably 42 24 43 30 45 2 14 50 1 17 Tears are often a sign of strength and 24

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righteousness A weaker man would have immediately ordered punishment or even execution of his brothers Also Joseph weeps because he wants things right in his family He doesn t want any animosity The story of Joseph s shedding many tears is an example of what truth in Psalm 126 5 ____________________________________________________________ To maintain a clear conscience before reacting to a hurt or injustice allow God time to change people and Always listen to your conscience 42 24b 28 To hide his forgiving and loving heart Joseph returns to his brothers and has Simeon tied up before their eyes 42 24b This strikes fear in their hearts It is all part of Joseph s plan to test his brothers and bring his family back together Next Joseph gives orders for their sacks to be filled with grain and to hide their payment for the grain in their sacks The brothers load their donkeys and head for home However when they stop for the night one of them opens his sack to feed his donkey and discovers the money When he tells his brothers their hearts sink in terror 42 25 28c Then what do they say in the last sentence of Genesis 42 28 ____________________________________________________________ This is the first time any of Joseph s brothers have mentioned the name of God This is a breakthrough because they are admitting God would someday somehow punish them for their sin of selling Joseph into slavery Now circumstances are causing their consciences to condemn them Sometimes God uses or arranges circumstances to arouse our consciences One of God s greatest gifts to us is a conscience At the church in Corinth some believers were encouraging other believers to eat food that had been sacrificed to pagan idols There was nothing wrong with eating the food or refusing to eat it The issue was conscience Therefore what does Paul write to the believers who encouraged other believers to go against their consciences 1 Corinthians 8 12 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ It is a sin to encourage anyone to do anything that goes against his or her conscience It is also a sin to violate our own consciences 25

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To maintain a clear conscience allow God time to change people always listen to your conscience and Avoid searing your conscience 42 29 38 Upon arriving in Canaan the nine brothers tell their father Jacob all that has happened To complicate matters further when they empty their sacks each sack has money in it When Jacob and his sons see the money they are frightened as they think about the consequences of stealing from the prime minister of Egypt 42 29 35 What would they do now If they return to Egypt they will be considered thieves If they take Benjamin with them what will happen to him It appears Jacob has some suspicions about his sons because he says Me have ye bereaved of my children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin away all these things are against me 42 36 Reuben seeks to calm his father s fears by offering to give his own two sons to him until he brings Benjamin back However Jacob doesn t want to risk losing his only remaining son of his beloved wife Rachel To lose him Jacob says will bring him to his grave in sorrow 42 37 38 God is clearly using Jacob s words to amplify the voice of conscience in his sons God often uses circumstances and people to increase the volume of the voice of our consciences We must be very careful about turning a deaf ear to our consciences because it is possible to mute what they are saying How does 1 Timothy 4 2b describe people who have done this ____________________________________________________________ The word translated seared KAUSTRIAZ kow tay ree od zo is the word from which we get our word cauterize It means to seal a wound or destroy infected tissue with a hot instrument This procedure leaves scar tissue that is insensitive When used in reference to our conscience seared means to lose sensitivity to right and wrong Our conscience is the voice of our soul telling us God s way It is a built in sin detector God has given us However when we habitually ignore it we develop a seared conscience This is why we should always strive to be able to honestly say what words of Paul recorded in Acts 24 16 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph s brothers are examples of how God uses our consciences If we fail to listen to our consciences we will be doomed to repeat the same sins To maintain a clear conscience allow God time to change people always listen to your conscience and avoid searing your conscience 26

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 6 Living Worthy of Your Name Genesis 43 1 34 Names in the Bible are very important that s why God often changes the names of great saints As followers of Jesus Christ our name is Christian so our lives should bring honor and respect to that name That s why Philippians 1 27a gives us what command ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ In chapter 42 we saw Joseph s brothers come to Egypt to buy grain To analyze their hearts and consciences Joseph devised a plan that included treating them harshly jailing Simeon and sending the other brothers back to Canaan to bring Benjamin to Egypt In this chapter we find three principles that will help us live worthy of the name Christian Reflect on who God is 43 1 14 God has been working on Joseph s brothers consciences However there is no record of them admitting what they had done to Joseph Perhaps now that they have food and are away from their problems in Egypt they will return to business as usual Perhaps in spite of everything they still believe they can cover up their sin However if they had had a Bible what spiritual truth in Proverbs 28 13 might convince them otherwise ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The famine continues to be severe in Canaan and they eat all the food they had purchased in Egypt Therefore Jacob tells his sons to go back to Egypt to buy more food Judah reminds him they must have Benjamin with them in order to purchase food Jacob doesn t want to send Benjamin so he scolds Judah for telling the Egyptian official he has another brother Judah explains they were just answering questions and had no idea the official would want them to bring their brother back Finally Judah convinces Jacob to allow Benjamin to go to Egypt with his brothers 43 1 10 In an attempt to appease the official and assure the return of his sons Jacob tells his sons to take back some of the best produce in Canaan They are to take the best fruits honey spices myrrh nuts etc Then he tells them to 27 NOTES

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take double the money that was put in their sacks because it might have been an oversight 43 11 12 It is important to note which of Jacob s names is used in chapters 42 and 43 After God changed Abram s name to Abraham he was never called Abram again However after Jacob s name is changed to Israel which means God rules he is often called Jacob In chapter 42 he is called Jacob five times 42 1 4 29 36 but never by his new name This is because even after God changed his name to Israel he stills acts like the old Jacob being weak in faith But in chapter 43 he is called Israel three times 43 6 8 11 and never Jacob This is because he is finally acting worthy of his new name Israel This is revealed through what statement Jacob makes in Genesis 43 14a ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Israel calls God EL SHADDAI which means God Almighty Israel is acknowledging God s power and therefore living up to his new name He then reveals he is willing to accept whatever God s will is by saying If I be bereaved of my children I am bereaved 43 14c Besides working in the hearts of Israel s sons God is also working in the life of Israel trying to get him to live in a manner worthy of his new name Through famines of various kinds including our finances our health our relationships etc God tries to get us to live up to our new name Christian How does Ephesians 4 1b express this fact ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ We have been called to live up to the name Christian From time to time we all must ask ourselves Am I living worthy of my new name If we are not then we need to remember God is EL SHADDAI God Almighty and if we act in faith He will empower us to live up to our name To live worthy of your name reflect on who God is and Relate your faith to others 43 15 25 With Israel s approval his sons take the gifts money and Benjamin back to Egypt When Joseph sees Benjamin he orders they be taken to his house and a feast prepared Not knowing Joseph s intentions his brothers are frightened because they think he is taking them as slaves and confiscating their donkeys 43 15 18 This would mean their family would starve 28

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Trying to discover what is going on and fearing they will be accused of stealing the money they decide to come clean When they arrive at the entrance of the house the brothers tell Joseph s steward the man in charge of his household about finding the money in their sacks They tell him they are returning all the money plus money to buy more food Knowing Joseph s plan the steward tells them everything is alright and not to be afraid 43 19 23a Then in Genesis 43 23b c what does the steward an Egyptian tell them ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The steward calls God ELOHIM ELH M el oh heem making it clear Joseph has been sharing his faith with his steward Sometimes our greatest opportunity to be witnesses who live up to our name is during times of adversity Perhaps the steward saw that in spite of all the injustices and mistreatment Joseph had endured there was no bitterness or revenge in his heart Though Joseph didn t have a Bible he knew God s heart therefore he knew God s will Joseph s steward could see him as a wonderful example of what command found in Colossians 3 13 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Next the steward brings Simeon out to them takes them into Joseph s house and gives them water to wash their feet as well as feed for their donkeys When they are told they are going to eat lunch with Joseph they prepare their gifts for Joseph s noon arrival 43 24 25 To live worthy of your name reflect on who God is relate your faith to others and React in love 43 26 34 We now come to one of the most moving passages in the Bible As Joseph comes into the house his brothers present him with the gifts they have brought and bow down before him Joseph asks them how they are doing 43 26 27a and then he asks something that has been weighing heavy on his heart What does he ask in Genesis 43 27b c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ They tell him their father is doing well Then Joseph sees his only full brother Benjamin and asks if this is their younger brother They verify 29

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this is Benjamin Deeply moved and unable to fight back the tears Joseph hurries out of the room to find a place to weep In spite of his great faith and moral strength Joseph is a man who often cries Tears are not a sign of weakness but an indication we feel and love as God would have us Victorious living sometimes includes weeping over broken relationships the lost etc What does David write in Psalm 56 8 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ David is confident God is recording his tears Isn t it great to know God counts every tear we shed when we are hurt and when we are moved because of compassion or love After a while Joseph washes his face to freshen up and returns to his brothers Following Egyptian custom Joseph eats at a separate table because it was not acceptable for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews who were considered to be of very low status and an abomination or disgusting 43 31 32 The brothers are astonished at their seating arrangement because they realize they are seated by age from the oldest to the youngest Also the youngest Benjamin is served portions five times larger than his brothers 43 33 34 Joseph is being partial to Benjamin to see his brothers reaction It was Jacob s partiality to Joseph along with Joseph s dreams that caused his brothers to sell him into slavery Now Joseph s brothers are having an unbelievable feast unlike any they have had in years because of the famine or perhaps ever This feast is reminiscent of what happens when we react to being hurt in a way consistent with victorious living Paul mentions all kinds of adversity we must endure including tribulation persecution famine and the sword martyrdom that try to separate us from the love of Christ Rom 8 35 Then what does he write in Romans 8 37 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ What does it mean to be more than a conqueror A conqueror defeats his enemy Being more than a conqueror is doing something more impressive making your enemy your friend That s victorious living Living worthy of your name requires that you reflect on who God is relate your faith to others and react in love 30

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 7 Three Purposes for Our Problems Genesis 44 1 34 There is a saying that goes Trouble never leaves us like it finds us Our troubles and problems always change us but in different ways Problems cause some people to become more spiritual and others more sinister As someone has said Christians are like teabags You can t tell what s in them until they get in some hot water Previously in our study Joseph s brothers have returned to Egypt with their brother Benjamin to purchase food When they arrived Joseph prepared a feast for them in his home and chapter 43 ended as they were eating that meal Now Joseph will give his brothers the supreme test to see if they have really changed From this passage we can find three purposes for our problems 1 To test our character 44 1 13 God has a reason for allowing our problems After forty years of problems in the wilderness the Israelites were on the verge of entering the Promised Land Then in Deuteronomy 8 2b what does Moses tell them is the reason God allowed them to have all their wilderness problems ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph is testing his brothers to discover what is in their hearts Therefore once again he tells his steward to fill his brothers sacks with food and put their money in each sack Joseph also tells his steward to put his silver cup in Benjamin s sack 44 1 2 This cup was used by Egyptians for divination or future telling Joseph certainly didn t use the cup for that but its significance would add to his brothers terror when they are caught Early the next morning his brothers leave for Canaan and Joseph s steward follows them He overtakes them and as ordered accuses them of stealing the silver cup 44 3 6 They vehemently deny any wrongdoing In haste they add that if one of them has the cup let him die and the rest of them will become slaves 44 7 9 This is an example of what truth found in Proverbs 29 20 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 31 NOTES

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The steward knows the penalty is too severe and will not fit into Joseph s plan so he suggests only the offender be punished by becoming a slave and the others will be free to go The steward then begins searching the sacks of food beginning with Reuben the oldest going to the youngest So he searches the sacks of Reuben then Simeon then Levi Judah and so on As each sack is searched the brothers confidence increases Finally the steward searches the sack of the youngest brother Benjamin and finds the cup This discovery is their worst nightmare coming true therefore the brothers tear their clothes in grief 44 10 13a This is the same response their father had when Jacob saw Joseph s bloodstained coat 37 34 This is the first sign they have changed Now the question is would they again abandon their father s favorite son No They load their donkeys and return to Egypt 44 13b Just as they think things are getting better they get much worse They must be experiencing what feeling as expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 22 14c d ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The purposes for our problems are to test our character and 2 To initiate self examination 44 14 17 When the brothers return to Egypt they again bow before Joseph Then Joseph asks What deed is this that ye have done wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine 44 15 Joseph certainly doesn t divine or practice fortune telling because this is part of the occult He is probably just trying to further frighten his brothers and make them stand in awe of him Though the Law has not yet been given Joseph clearly knows the heart and ways of God Later through Moses God says His people are not to sacrifice their children in the fire like the pagans Deut 18 10a Then in Deuteronomy 18 10b what does God say He doesn t want found among His people ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph s plot is working because Judah speaking for his brothers asks what they can do to prove their innocence He then says to Joseph God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants 44 16 This is the first time the brothers confess they are guilty of anything Their problems are obviously causing them to examine their lives Judah says it is God ELH M El oh heem who is uncovering their sin However acknowledging our sin or even confessing it is not enough Our 32

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sin must also be forsaken Prov 28 13 To forsake our sin means we will not do it anymore The Bible calls this repentance a change of mind that results in a change of behavior To see if his brothers have truly come to repentance Joseph must find out if they will repeat their sin or forsake it He still can t reveal who he is but he duplicates the situation that had caused his brothers to sell him into slavery Even though the brothers think they will all be slaves Joseph says he wouldn t do such a thing Then what does he tell his brothers in Genesis 44 17b c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The stage is now perfectly set to see if his brothers would repeat their sin The purpose for our problems is to test our character and to initiate selfexamination If these two purposes are accomplished the third purpose will result which is 3 To produce change 44 18 34 We now come to one of the most touching passages in the Bible Resigned to the fact they cannot prove their innocence Judah at great personal risk comes near to Joseph He then intercedes for Benjamin with one of the most moving and sincere pleas in the Bible His petition reveals a clear change in his heart Remember it was Judah who suggested to his brothers that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites 37 26 27 Judah wanted to make money by getting rid of Joseph At this point all the brothers believe their problems are because of what they did to Joseph and he is now dead 44 20 Judah pleads for Benjamin s release so he can go home Three times in his moving plea he tells Joseph if Benjamin does not go home their father will die from grief 44 22 29 31 Judah also tells Joseph about his personal guarantee to his father that he would bring Benjamin back home He recounts to Joseph that if he doesn t bring Benjamin back he will bear the blame before his father for the rest of his life 44 30 32 Judah is genuinely concerned about Benjamin and his father Israel Then Joseph hears the words for which he has been hoping and praying Judah says something that reveals an undeniable change in his heart What does he ask Joseph to do in Genesis 44 33 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This is the moral high point in Judah s life Once before Judah saw how the loss of one of his brothers broke his father s heart 37 34 35 and he 33

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cannot bear to see it happen again He would rather be a slave for the rest of his life than bear the blame of repeating his father s grief 44 33 34 His sacrificial offer is no doubt one reason God chose him for the ultimate honor of all the sons of Jacob Later his father Jacob will see Judah is the son through whom the Messiah would come Therefore just before he dies what does Jacob say in Genesis 49 10 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ A scepter is a ceremonial rod or wand used as a symbol of a monarch s authority Therefore Israel knew the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords would come through his son Judah Judah s willingness to suffer as a substitute for his brother foreshadowed the ultimate substitution of Christ on the cross dying for the sins of the world In the last book of the Bible the book of Revelation John begins to weep when no one is found worthy to open the seven sealed scroll He weeps because the closing scene of history cannot come to God s appointed end Then one of the elders around the throne of God tells John to weep not Why according to Revelation 5 5b c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This is the fulfillment of Jacob s prophecy about Judah Gen 49 10 God used problems to produce change in Judah so he would fit His divine purpose He wants to use your problems to do the same When not if you have problems remember these three purposes for our problems To test our character To initiate self examination and To produce change 34

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 8 Principles for Peacemaking Genesis 45 1 28 Occasionally we all experience a falling out in a relationship When that happens our responsibility as Christians is to do all we can to restore the relationship Though Joseph doesn t have a Bible he knows God s heart because he knows God s way as in Romans 12 18 Write it below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This is exactly what Joseph does Therefore in this chapter we find three principles for peacemaking 1 Allow God time to work 45 1 8 When he hears Judah s offer to stay as a slave in Benjamin s place Joseph knows his brothers have truly changed He can no longer contain his emotions and orders everyone except his brothers out of the room Then he weeps so loudly the Egyptians outside the room can hear him This is the third of five times Joseph weeps over broken relationships in his family 42 24 43 30 45 2 45 14 50 17 Joseph s weeping reveals he took no pleasure in deceiving and frightening his brothers It has been a long hard and heartbreaking twenty two years since he was sold into slavery If we desire to be peacemakers we must allow God time to work If we wait on Him God will give us opportunities to make reconciliation and peace Therefore we must follow what example of the psalmist in Psalm 130 5 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ After releasing his emotions Joseph says to his brothers I am Joseph doth my father yet live 45 3a His brothers have already answered this question once before 43 27 28 but Joseph s hurting heart wants reassurance However his brothers are so shocked and terrified they can t utter a word 45 3b This is the first time Joseph has talked to them in Hebrew until now he has always used an interpreter 42 23 They probably expect Joseph to execute them for selling him into slavery Joseph is now going to complete the task of peacemaking with his brothers Seeing his brothers terror Joseph tells them to come closer and again he 35 NOTES

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tells them he is their brother Joseph whom they sold into slavery Then Joseph tells his brothers the famine has been in the land for two years and there are five more years of famine to come Three times in verses 5 8 Joseph tells them God sent him ahead to save their lives Furthermore Joseph tells his brothers God made him a father or counselor to Pharaoh and ruler of all Egypt 45 8b The reason Joseph can be so loving and forgiving is he understands God has a purpose for every hurtful event in his life Rom 8 28 A journey into victorious living requires believing that in God s time He will bring good out of every hurt we suffer Therefore we can forgive those who wrong us God will do His part but we must do ours by obeying what command of Jesus in Luke 6 28 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The word translated bless EULOGE you log eh oh is the Greek word from which we get our word eulogy It means to speak well of or say good things about So when people hurt us we should say only good things about them and pray for them The only exception for not saying good things would be to protect someone else The first principle for peacemaking is allow God time to work then 2 Await opportunities to talk 45 9 15 Joseph tells his brothers to hurry back to his father and tell him God has been good to him in Egypt and to come immediately 45 9 Three times Joseph says God sent him to Egypt 45 5 8a Then he says God has made me 45 8b 9 Problems and hurts are some of the most effective tools God has to make us into the people He wants us to be Joseph also informs his brothers that when their families come back from Canaan they will live in the land of Goshen a very fertile area of northeastern Egypt There Joseph will provide for their needs until the famine ends Again he tells them to tell his father about his position in Egypt and all they have seen 45 10 13a Joseph then adds ye shall haste and bring down my father hither 45 13b Joseph is afraid his aging father might die unless they quickly bring him to Egypt Now we come to another of the most moving verses in the Bible Genesis 45 14 Write it below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 36

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Benjamin is Joseph s youngest and only full brother by Jacob s beloved wife Rachel who died giving birth to Benjamin 35 18 24 After embracing and weeping with Benjamin Joseph hugs each of his brothers and weeps over them Afterwards his brothers talk with him 45 15 After we give God time to work we must wait for an opportunity to talk constructively Over the years I have had to lead my church to make decisions that did not please everyone The way I detect someone is upset with me is when they don t want to talk to me The same is true when my heart is not right toward someone Not wanting to talk to someone is usually a symptom of not obeying what command in Ephesians 4 31 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ We cannot be peacemakers until we first deal with the bitterness and anger in our own hearts Sometimes we need to give God time to work in our own hearts as well as in the heart of someone who has hurt us One way we know our hearts are right is when we want to talk sincerely and lovingly to someone for the sole purpose of reconciliation However if we try to rush things and talk too early the situation almost always becomes worse Therefore allow God time to work await opportunities to talk and 3 Anticipate God s blessings on your efforts 45 16 28 When Pharaoh hears Joseph s brothers are in Egypt he is pleased Pharaoh probably sees this as an opportunity for him to repay Joseph for helping him prepare for the famine He tells Joseph to tell his brothers to return to Canaan and bring back their families Furthermore he tells Joseph to let them know they will have the best land and will live off the fat of the land 45 16 18 The word fat refers to the finest products of the harvest Finally what does Pharaoh tell Joseph s brothers they can take from Egypt in which to bring their families back 45 19 ____________________________________________________________ These are not cheap rickety wagons they are Egyptian carts the finest in the world The Hebrew word translated wagons AGL awg aw law can also be translated chariots They are the equivalent of today s Rolls Royce The brothers came to Egypt on foot or riding their donkeys which would return loaded with food Returning to Canaan with Egyptian wagons would be the equivalent of going home in limousines to transport their families back to Egypt Joseph follows Pharaoh s instructions equipping his brothers with new clothing and provisions for the journey He also sends his father twenty 37

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donkeys loaded with food and provisions for the journey back to Egypt Then he tells his brothers not to quarrel on the way home 45 21 24 Joseph knew that although poverty often draws people closer together prosperity sometimes pulls them apart Prosperity is the worst thing that can happen to some families A falling out is often the result of what truth found in 1 Timothy 6 10a ____________________________________________________________ While Jacob s sons are in Egypt he has been anxiously waiting to see if Benjamin and Simeon would return with his other sons Therefore he must have been overwhelmed when he sees all his sons ride up in the latest model of Egyptian wagons loaded with all kinds of extravagant provisions However Jacob s sons tell him something he never expected to hear something more shocking than all the carts and provisions What do they tell him in Genesis 45 26b ____________________________________________________________ Jacob is stunned and can t believe his ears Then they relate to him what Joseph told him about coming to Egypt Seeing all the carts and provisions convinces Jacob the story is all true and his spirit is revived 45 27 In verses 25 27 the father is called Jacob but we read in verse 28 And Israel said It is enough Joseph my son is yet alive I will go and see him before I die He is called Israel because not only is he revived mentally and emotionally but also spiritually The old man whose spirit had been crushed is now totally revived and living up to his new name Israel which means God rules Israel s decision to take his family to Egypt begins the fulfillment of the prophecy God gave to Abraham that his descendants would be foreigners and servants in a foreign land for 400 years Gen 15 13 Therefore in the land of Goshen as God pre ordained they will multiply without losing their identity as the twelve sons or tribes of Israel This is a result of the efforts of Joseph who throughout his life exhibits godly wisdom which is always pure and peaceable Jas 3 17 Joseph is a wonderful example of what promise in James 3 18 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means peacemakers will reap a harvest of right relationships with God and with other people To reap this kind of harvest and have a journey into victorious living you must practice the principles for peacemaking allow God time to work await opportunities to talk and anticipate God s blessings on your efforts 38

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 9 Finding and Doing God s Will Genesis 46 1 34 We have traveled a long way with Joseph from the pit to Potiphar s house to the prison and to the palace However our journey does not end with Joseph exalted and at the pinnacle of success in Egypt The Bible is the story of how God keeps His promise to Joseph s great grandfather Abraham that through his seed all the nations of the world would be blessed Joseph knew this promise could not be fulfilled in the riches of Egypt So the first question Joseph asked his brothers after revealing his identity was if his father was still living 45 3 When his hopes were confirmed Joseph immediately sent his brothers back home to bring the rest of the family to Egypt 45 21 24 Though Joseph is at the peak of success in Egypt his heart is still in the Promised Land and the promised seed How is this confirmed by what Joseph later says to his brothers as he is dying Genesis 50 24b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ In this chapter we now discover four requirements for finding and doing God s will 1 Seek God s direction 46 1 7 When Israel received the news his beloved son Joseph who for twenty two years was thought dead is alive his broken heart and spirit were revived 45 27 Therefore Israel heads for Egypt with all his family and possessions When he reaches Beersheba he offers sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac 46 1 Beersheba was where God had spoken to his father Isaac and where his great grandfather Abraham called on the Lord by a new name the everlasting God 21 33 This is the Hebrew name EL OLM EL O lawm which means the ageless or perpetual God It denotes God is consistent and always keeps His promises How does God express this attribute about Himself in Malachi 3 6a ____________________________________________________________ Beersheba was a special spiritual place for Jacob and his forefathers The inspired writer refers to Joseph s father by both of his names Jacob and Israel in this chapter indicating two things First he is living up to his new name Israel Second it is a reminder that his descendants will fulfill 39 NOTES

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God s promise to his grandfather Abraham 32 12 The name Jacob reminds us he is a physical descendant of Abraham and Isaac Jacob knew his grandfather Abraham had gone through a humiliating experience in Egypt when he lied about his wife Sarah being his sister 12 1020 He also knew God had told his father Isaac not to go to Egypt 26 2 Therefore before Jacob can travel to Egypt he must get God s permission to leave Canaan the Promised Land After Israel offers sacrifices the Lord speaks to him in visions at night and tells him not to be afraid to go to Egypt because there He will make of him a great nation 46 3 God also tells Israel He will go to Egypt with him and bring him back However what does God tell him in Genesis 46 4c ____________________________________________________________ This means when Jacob dies his beloved son Joseph will be at his side for his peaceful home going and will gently close his eyes When seeking God s will we like Jacob need to go to our Beersheba the place where God can best speak to us It might be a church service a special prayer place etc When it came time for Jesus to choose His twelve disciples what does Luke 6 12 tell us He did ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The next morning Jesus chose His twelve disciples Lk 6 13 In the same way after seeking God s direction Jacob and his family proceed to Egypt 46 5 7 To find and do God s will first seek God s direction and 2 Surrender to God s timetable 46 8 27 Jacob s family had begun to multiply even before leaving Canaan Abraham had two sons Ishmael and Isaac but Isaac was the only son of promise 22 2 Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau However it was through Jacob that God s promise to Abraham would be fulfilled 32 12 Because the size of Israel s family when they move from the Promised Land to Egypt is so important the inspired writer gives a detailed list of Jacob s family 46 8 25 According to Genesis 46 27b upon arrival in Egypt what is the total number of Jacob s family ____________________________________________________________ The threescore and six in verse 26 excludes Jacob Joseph Ephraim and 40

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Manasseh It has now been over 200 years since God first appeared to Abraham and promised his seed would become a great nation 12 2 It will be another 400 years after Jacob s family moves to Egypt before they return to Canaan the Promised Land When they do leave Egypt 400 years later what does Exodus 12 37 give as the number of Jacob s descendants ____________________________________________________________ Another requirement for finding and doing God s will is surrendering to His timetable because God never gets in a hurry If you are in a hurry to understand the entire Bible to have a prayer answered or to find God s will for your life you must surrender to God s timetable What promise does God give in Lamentations 3 25 to those who wait for Him ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The word translated wait QW kay vaw means to wait in expectation Faith always waits expectantly To find and do God s will seek God s direction surrender to God s timetable and 3 Submit to adversity 46 28 30 Finding and doing God s will is never easy because it always includes suffering and sacrifice As Jacob s family approaches Egypt he sends Judah who appears now to be the leader among his sons to Joseph to get directions to Goshen Then Joseph has his chariot made ready and hurries to Goshen to see his father He was only seventeen when his brothers sold him 37 2 and it has been about twenty two years since Joseph last saw his beloved father As soon as he sees Jacob Joseph embraces him and weeps for a long time 46 28 29 It has been more than twenty long years of loneliness hurt and pain However through all his adversity Joseph never stepped out of God s will Joseph is an example of the truth that being in God s will doesn t exempt us from suffering and trouble Jn 16 33b To fulfill God s will for his life Joseph endured suffering and sacrifice Yet Joseph never complains seeks revenge or does anything contrary to God s will Joseph s reunion with his beloved father is a wonderful example of what truth found in Psalm 37 4 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 41

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Israel tells Joseph he can now die since he has seen his beloved son and knows he is alive 46 30 This means he can now die happy and content Finding and doing God s will includes seek God s direction surrender to God s timetable submit to adversity and 4 Shun deceit 46 31 34 After an emotional reunion Joseph reveals his plan to tell Pharaoh they are shepherds so he could secure the land of Goshen for them 46 32 Pharaoh knew they were coming but apparently had not designated any particular land for them 45 17 20 Joseph will be totally honest with Pharaoh emphasizing they are shepherds who have brought their flocks as well as other livestock 46 32 This will make it clear they need a lot of grazing land which can be provided in Goshen Joseph instructs his family that when Pharaoh asks what their occupation is they are truthfully to say they tend cattle The word translated cattle MIQNEH mik neh is a generic word referring to cattle flocks or herds So there is no deception concerning their profession as some commentaries suggest Joseph knew God s ways thus he would know what truth found in Psalm 101 7 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Later when Joseph takes some of his brothers before Pharaoh and he asks What is your occupation they reply Thy servants are shepherds 47 3 Being honest about their occupation would be a big plus This is because as Joseph tells his family shepherds are an abomination or detestable to the Egyptians 46 34 Therefore the Egyptians would be delighted to let the Israelites live segregated lives in Goshen This was part of God s plan If they lived among the Egyptians they might be tempted to intermarry and eventually be assimilated into Egyptian culture This does not mean God is prejudiced In 1 Kings 11 2d why does God say He doesn t want His people to marry non believers ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ God s will for this area of our lives has not changed As believers we are commanded not to marry unbelievers 2 Cor 6 14 This command is given for the same reason they will turn our hearts after their gods such as money success possessions pleasure etc To find and do God s will seek God s direction surrender to God s timetable submit to adversity and shun deceit 42

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 10 Requirements for Victorious Living Genesis 47 1 31 Now in Egypt Jacob s family totals seventy 46 27 Joseph tentatively settles them in the land of Goshen also known as Rameses 47 11 Then he takes five of his brothers to introduce them to Pharaoh 47 2 Wanting to know how they might best fit into his country s economy Pharaoh first asks their occupation They truthfully reply they are shepherds 47 3 The brothers also tell Pharaoh they have come to Egypt because the famine in their land is severe and they have no pasture for their flocks Then they ask permission to live permanently in the land of Goshen Not only does Pharaoh grant their request but he also puts Joseph s brothers in charge of his own livestock 47 4 6 After settling his family in Goshen Joseph brings his aged father to meet the powerful Pharaoh In this chapter we find three requirements for victorious living Annihilate expectations of an easy life 47 7 12 Joseph introduces his father to Pharaoh and then his father blesses Pharaoh 47 7 The word translated blessed BRAK baw rak means to salute or congratulate In this context it refers to a very respectful greeting The Pharaoh then respectfully asks Jacob How old art thou 47 8 Pharaoh asks his age because Jacob is obviously a very old man and in the ancient Near East old age was seen as a sign of divine favor Therefore aged people were treated very respectfully What does God command us in Leviticus 19 32a ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Jacob tells Pharaoh the years of his pilgrimage are 130 47 9 In other words Jacob understands he is a pilgrim What is a pilgrim It is someone on a long difficult journey That s what we all are pilgrims Therefore we have what command in 1 Peter 2 11 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Jacob also tells Pharaoh his life has been evil or difficult and shorter than his fathers 47 9 His father Isaac lived to be 180 35 28 and his grandfather Abraham lived to be 175 25 7 So compared to them his years have been few The patriarchs lived unusually long lives 43 NOTES

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Although Jacob s life was comparatively short it was difficult Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us an easy life Can you name one person in the Bible whom the Lord called to live an easy life Did Noah Abraham Moses Joshua Elijah John the Baptist Jesus or Paul Anyone To the contrary what does Psalm 90 10 tell us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ God is very honest with us in the Bible because He doesn t want us to follow Him under false pretenses God doesn t promise our pilgrimage will be easy but He tells us not to fear or be dismayed Isa 41 10a b Why according to Isaiah 41 10c d ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Jacob s life has been difficult but he will live in Egypt for seventeen peaceful happy years before he dies at the age of 147 47 28 As Jacob leaves from his visit he again blesses Pharaoh Having formally received Pharaoh s approval Joseph officially settles his family in the land of Goshen or Rameses and provides them with ample food 47 10 12 To live victoriously annihilate expectations of an easy life and Eliminate tax fraud 47 13 26 The famine continues to worsen because no food is being produced in the land Joseph sold the stored food until the Egyptians ran out of money Then Joseph tells them if they have no money he will give them food in exchange for their livestock The next year they exchange their land for food and Joseph thus acquires all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh 47 1320 Joseph gives the people seed to sow the land with the stipulation that a fifth of the harvest be given to Pharaoh 47 23 24 The people understand that for the nation to survive Joseph has to rule with an iron hand Therefore what do they say in Genesis 47 25 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Since the land now belongs to Pharaoh Joseph makes a law that Pharaoh will receive a fifth of the harvest from the land with the exception of the 44

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land belonging to the Egyptian priests 47 26 This plan actually was a percentage income tax system to finance government and is still a model today In the matter of taxes we as believers must always remember what command in Romans 13 7a c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The word tribute probably refers to income or property taxes The word custom refers to taxes paid on goods or merchandise such as sales tax Sadly research has shown that Christians are just as likely as non believers to cheat on their taxes I have heard Christians even pastors brag about how they cheat on their taxes by making deceitful deductions or not reporting all their income That is just bragging about sin because it violates what command of the Lord Jesus in Mark 12 17b ____________________________________________________________ We are to submit to every authority such as emperors or kings instituted by God According to the Bible the purpose of government is to protect and punish It is to protect its citizens from criminals and national enemies and it is to punish evil doers or criminals It is also to commend those who do right 1 Pet 2 13 14 To live victoriously annihilate expectations of an easy life eliminate tax fraud and Anticipate death as a time of rest 47 27 31 After reporting Joseph s handling of the famine the story returns to the history of Israel and the Israelites They peacefully settle in Goshen where they multiply greatly 47 27 Jacob s family rapidly becomes a great nation as God promised his grandfather Abraham After living in Egypt for seventeen years Jacob died around 1859 B C at the age of 147 47 28 Knowing death is near Jacob calls his son Joseph and asks him to promise he will not bury him in Egypt 47 29 What does he tell Joseph in Genesis 47 30a b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph tells Jacob he will do as he asks 47 30c Jacob s request is not a sentimental or superstitious request It is an act of faith Jacob believes that although his family is in Egypt and doing very well there one day God 45

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will take them back to the Promised Land and make them a great nation there After asking Joseph to bury him in the Promised Land Israel bows in worship upon the bed s head 47 31 This verse is difficult to translate with certainty The word translated bowed SHH shaw khaw also can be translated bow in worship It is translated worship 99 times and bow 31 times in the Old Testament Also the word translated bed s can also be translated staff I think the verse is best translated bows in worship on the head of his bed When do we most need our faith When it is time to die At that point we look back on our lives and realize God has never failed us never left us and never given up on us It is the time when we most need faith in what promise in Psalm 23 4a c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said he wanted to die before the Rapture because he didn t want to miss the Christian experience of death He wanted to experience what it is like to walk through the shadow of death into eternal life The word Jacob uses to describe his death is lie SHKAB shaw kab which means to rest or lie down in sleep The euphemism most often used in the Bible for death is sleep In John 11 11b how does Jesus describe the death of Lazarus to His disciples ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ When teaching about the Resurrection Paul refers to death as sleep or being asleep 1 Cor 15 6 18 20 51 For a believer death is simply going to sleep in one place and waking up in another In the book of Revelation John writes that the Spirit says those who die in the Lord are blessed Rev 14 13a Then what does the Spirit say in Revelation 14 13d e ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Three requirements for victorious living are Annihilate expectations of an easy life Eliminate tax fraud and Anticipate death as a time of rest 46

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 11 Leaving a Lasting Legacy Genesis 48 1 22 Joseph s family is now settled in the fertile land of Goshen In the previous chapter we learned Jacob sent for Joseph because he knew his life was quickly coming to an end He requested to be buried with his ancestors in the Promised Land However Jacob does not die immediately and as prime minister of Egypt Joseph has responsibilities that would not allow him to stay with his father Later when word again comes that his father is ill Joseph takes his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to see his dying father 48 1 From this episode in Jacob s life we find three ways we can leave lasting legacies for our children and grandchildren Arrange a time to give them a blessing 48 1 7 When Jacob who is bedridden hears Joseph has arrived he gathers his strength and sits up in bed to greet him Then Jacob tells Joseph about how God appeared to him in Luz 48 3 What did Jacob rename Luz Genesis 28 19 ____________________________________________________________ There God promised to multiply Jacob s descendants giving them the land of Canaan the Promised Land for an everlasting possession 48 4 The point of repeating the promise is to let Joseph and his sons know they are heirs to the promise Jacob tells Joseph he is adopting his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim as his sons This means Joseph s descendants will get double representation among the tribes of Israel This explains how Ephraim and Manasseh come to have equal standing with Joseph s brothers and why Joseph did not become the head of a tribe bearing his name The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim later become two of the most important tribes of Israel An important leader of the Israelites originally named Oshea the son of Nun would come from the tribe of Ephraim Num 13 8 Who is this son of Nun Numbers 27 18 ____________________________________________________________ Jacob then tells Joseph that children born to him in the future will inherit land within the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh This means they will be incorporated into those two tribes Apparently seeing Joseph and his sons prompts Jacob to briefly recount the death of Rachel their mother and grandmother who died in Canaan giving birth to Benjamin Jacob tells them he buried her beside the road to Bethlehem 48 6 7 47 NOTES

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To leave a lasting legacy for your children and grandchildren arrange a time to give them a blessing and Allow them to hear you pray for them 48 8 16 Jacob s aging eyes can barely see Joseph s two boys so he asks if they belong to Joseph Joseph responds They are my sons whom God hath given me in this place 48 8 9 Here is a very important principle our children are given to us by God Although it may sometimes seem like they are ours for an eternity after they grow up and leave home it seems like such a very short time Because God has given our children to us we should never treat them like they are a burden or intrusion into our lives Instead our love and care for them should teach them what truth found in Psalm 127 3a ____________________________________________________________ Jacob tells Joseph to bring his sons to him so he might bless them Israel kisses and embraces them and says to Joseph I had not thought to see thy face and lo God hath shewed me also thy seed 48 9b 11 This is an example of what promise found in Ephesians 3 20a ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph takes his two sons from their grandfather s knees and bows down before him 48 12 This is a tremendous act of humility Joseph the prime minister of Egypt and second most powerful man in the world is bowing down before the patriarch of a clan of sheep herders who are so low on the social scale they are despised by the Egyptians 43 32 46 34 Joseph positions the boys so Ephraim is at Jacob s left hand and Manasseh at his right hand The chief blessing was given with the right hand therefore Joseph places them so Jacob could simply put his right hand on Manasseh the oldest However Jacob knowingly crosses his arms as he reaches out to lay his hands on the boys heads So his right hand is on the head of Ephraim the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh the older 48 13 14 Jacob begins his blessing to Joseph and his grandsons by saying God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk 48 15b Then what does Jacob say 48 15c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The word fed R raw aw refers to a shepherd feeding and caring for 48

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his sheep This is the first time in the Bible God is pictured as a shepherd and how fitting it is as the old shepherd Jacob is dying Jacob s words are reminiscent of what statement in Psalm 23 1 ____________________________________________________________ Jacob continues his blessing which is contained in a prayer He asks God to bless the lads and make them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth 48 16 One of the greatest legacies we can leave our children or grandchildren is letting them hear us pray for them I remember as a young boy staying with my grandparents and sleeping in a room next to my granddad Newt Haddock He was very ill in his later years In those days we didn t have box springs just a set of bare squeaky springs under the mattress I can still hear those springs squeak as my grandfather would get out of his bed get down on his knees and pray before he went to sleep I can still remember the words he prayed It is a wonderful legacy Many years later Samuel was priest prophet and judge over the twelve tribes of Israel In his farewell speech what does he say to the Israelites 1 Samuel 12 23a ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Samuel s words indicate it is a sin against God not to pray for people and in no area is this more sinful than our own families To leave your children and grandchildren a lasting legacy arrange a time to give them a blessing allow them to hear you pray for them and Assure them of God s continued faithfulness 48 17 22 When Joseph sees his father put his right hand on Ephraim s head he lifts it to place it on Manasseh s head However Jacob refuses and tells Joseph he knows what he is doing Then he tells Joseph that Manasseh will become a great people but Ephraim will become even greater and his seed shall become a multitude of nations 48 17 19 Somehow on his death bed God gives Jacob a prophetic glimpse into the future of his descendants Jacob s prediction is verified later when the tribe of Ephraim becomes the leading tribe of the Northern Kingdom of Israel being superior to the tribe of Manasseh 1 Kings 12 In the Old Testament God often uses the younger son Moses was younger than Aaron and Jacob was younger than Esau Israel then says he is dying 48 21a What else does he say in the rest of that verse ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 49

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This is a wonderful message to all of us who will one day have to leave our children and loved ones behind The same God who has been our shepherd will be with our children and grandchildren when we leave this world Our great example is when it came time for our Lord to die and leave His disciples behind Jesus prayed that God would keep them from the evil Jn 17 15 Jesus knew there was only one way to protect His followers from the evil Therefore what does He pray in John 17 17 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ When it comes time for us to leave this world the best way to know our loved ones will continue in the will of God and under His protection is to teach them to revere study and obey God s Word We should also teach them how important it is to attend a church that reveres the Bible and does not retreat from its truths Finally Jacob says to Joseph Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow 48 22 This is the only mention of this incident in the Bible The word translated portion SHEKEM shek em is probably a word play on the town of Shechem where Jacob dug a well and where Joseph will later be buried Josh 24 32 Shechem is also called Sychar Jn 4 5 There at Jacob s well Jn 4 6 about 1 800 years later Jesus meets a woman who has had five husbands and is living with a man to whom she is not married Jesus leads her to faith and gives us one of the most important statements in the Bible John 4 24 Write it below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Before we die we all have an obligation to leave our children a lasting legacy This should be a solemn time when we sit down with our children and grandchildren to bestow God s blessing on their lives It should include an emphasis on the fact God always keeps His promises We should also express our desire that they be faithful to the God who has been our Shepherd all our lives To leave your children and grandchildren a lasting legacy arrange a time to give them a blessing allow them to hear you pray for them and assure them of God s continued faithfulness 50

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 12 When You Are Gathered to Your People Genesis 49 1 33 Just before Moses died God took him to the top of Mount Pisgah to show him the land He promised to the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Then Moses died Deut 34 1 5 In the same way God took Jacob to a spiritual mountaintop just before his death to show him the future of his descendants Therefore Jacob calls his sons together to tell them what will happen to them in the days to come 49 1 In this passage we find two things we should do when we are gathered to our people Trust in God s providence 49 2 27 The word providence denotes the wisdom care and guidance of God As Jacob is dying we see his faith in God s providence regarding his descendants Jacob speaks first about his firstborn Reuben 49 3 He praises Reuben who at one time was the apple of his eye But Reuben forfeited his privileges as the firstborn Therefore what does Jacob say to him in Genesis 49 4a b ____________________________________________________________ The word unstable means uncontrolled or given to passions or impulse Jacob explains because thou wentest up to thy father s bed then defiledst thou it 49 4 This is a reference to Reuben s adultery with Bilhah the maidservant of Rachel 29 29 35 22 When Rachel failed to bear children to her husband Jacob she gave Bilhah to him as a wife Bilhah became the mother of Dan and Naphtali 30 3 8 Reuben did not lose his place as a member of the family but he lost his reward This can also happen to Christians Like precious metals melted by fire so the impurities will come to the surface our lives will be judged and the quality of our works will be revealed by fire 1 Cor 3 13 If our works don t pass the test what does 1 Corinthians 3 15 tell us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ For some believers judgment will be like waking up in the middle of the night to find their home engulfed in flames They will flee to safety but watch the possessions of a lifetime go up in flames However that person if he or she is a true believer shall be saved 51 NOTES

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God takes a hard line on sin especially sexual sins Reuben apparently confessed his sin and was forgiven However he still had to live with the consequences of his sin the most serious of which was losing the rewards of the firstborn Throughout the history of the nation of Israel not one prophet judge or king would come from the tribe of Reuben His tribe did not furnish one national leader therefore as Jacob predicted Reuben did not excel or was not first Gen 49 4b Next in age are Simeon and Levi who should have been in line for the blessings of the firstborn However they are grouped together because they are men of cruelty 49 5 Out of revenge for the rape of their sister Dinah they committed the atrocious act of slaughtering the Shechemites 34 25 29 Because their anger was fierce and they reacted with cruel vengeance what does God say through Jacob in Genesis 49 7c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This means they will not possess their own land This is seen in the fact that the tribe of Simeon disappears from the biblical record after the conquest of the Promised Land and is assimilated into the tribe of Judah Josh 19 1 Because of God s grace the consequences for the tribe of Levi turned into a blessing Moses comes from the tribe of Levi During the golden calf incident Moses stands at the entrance of the camp and says Who is on the LORD S side let him come unto me Ex 32 26b Who is the first to come Exodus 32 26c ____________________________________________________________ Consequently God chose the tribe of Levi to become the priestly tribe Though they did not receive an inheritance in the land being chosen as the priestly tribe was nonetheless a great honor Next Jacob comes to son number four Judah 49 8 The most important thing God says through Jacob concerning Judah is The sceptre shall not depart from Judah 49 10a This clearly refers to the Messiah Therefore what does Hebrews 7 14a tell us ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Genesis 49 11 12 is a prediction of great material wealth that will come to the tribe of Judah This is fulfilled in the lives of King David and Solomon two of the richest people to ever live Solomon says about his wealth I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces Ecc 2 8a That means his personal wealth 52

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would match that of entire countries Solomon was also the wisest man to live prior to the coming of Christ He gives us a gold mine of advice about personal finances in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes For example what does he say about money in Ecclesiastes 5 10a b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Jacob tells Zebulun his descendants will be enriched by sea trade 49 13 The land allotted to Zebulun under Joshua was between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea Josh 19 10 16 though it did not actually border the shore of either When Jacob comes to Issachar he calls him a strong donkey This means his descendants will work like animals for other people they will be a tribe of low achievers This tribe was not prominent in the history of Israel Concerning Dan Jacob says he will judge his people 49 16 The most famous descendant of Dan was a judge What was his name Judges 13 24a ____________________________________________________________ This descendant of Dan ruled Israel for twenty years He was a bold wise judge who clearly had God s hand on his life The Bible records that the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power three times Judg 14 6 19 15 14 Yet Samson is remembered more for his weakness for a woman than for his great qualities However God still honors this descendant of Dan by including him in the heroes of faith Heb 11 32 Jacob tells Gad they will be attacked in the Promised Land but will defeat their enemies 49 19 He tells Asher their land will be productive and provide food fit for a king 49 20 This tribe settled along the fertile northern coast of Canaan Naphtali would be like a hind doe let loose 49 21a which could mean they would be a free mountain people Judg 5 18b Little is known about this tribe so the fulfillment of this prophecy is very sketchy Jacob s prophecy about Joseph is the longest 49 22 26 The predicted blessings are many but a significant one is that of blessings of the breasts and of the womb 49 25 This means great leaders would come through his two sons As already mentioned the most famous Joshua came from the tribe of Ephraim Num 13 8 14 6a Others to come through the tribe of Ephraim are Deborah and Samuel Gideon would come through the tribe of Manasseh 53

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Finally Jacob comes to Benjamin whom he compares to a ravenous wolf who catches its prey in the morning and then enjoys it at night 49 27 In its early history this was a violent tribe Judg 20 The first king of Israel Saul came from the tribe of Benjamin 1 Sam 9 1 2 Benjamin s most famous descendant is the apostle Paul Philip 3 5c When you are gathered to your people remember to trust in God s providence and Trust in God s promises 49 28 33 Finally Jacob says to his sons I am to be gathered unto my people 49 29b What a beautiful way to anticipate death going to be with all the believers who have died before us As Jacob is about to die he is a wonderful example of what description of faith found in Hebrews 11 1 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Jacob then asks to be buried with his fathers Abraham and Isaac in the cave located in Canaan 49 29c 30 This again reveals Jacob s faith that God would keep His promise about the land Then at age 147 47 28 using his last ounce of strength the old shepherd pulls his feet back into the bed breathes his last breath and is gathered unto his people 49 33 Jacob had his faults but in the end he died with genuine faith Though Jacob has been dead for more than 3 500 years God reminds us of his life every day as we read the newspaper or hear the evening news A country less than half the size of the state of Maine gets more press per square acre than any other country on the planet It bears the name God gave to Jacob Israel Each time we hear that name we are reminded God always keeps His promises When Joshua a descendant of Ephraim is near death he reminds Israel s leaders of something they know with all their hearts and souls What is it Joshua 23 14b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Every time you see or hear the name Israel in the news God is reminding you of that truth Therefore when you are gathered to your people don t forget to trust in God s providence and trust in God s promises M A I I S N R E A E L 54

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Journey Into Victorious Living LESSON 13 Profiting From Your Problems Genesis 50 1 26 We can all profit from our problems if we respond to them properly Instead of asking God why we often should ask what Instead of asking God WHY are you allowing this to happen we should ask God WHAT are you trying to teach me through this In the previous chapter God took Jacob to a spiritual mountaintop revealing to him the future of his descendants When Jacob finished sharing his prophecies with his sons he was gathered unto his people 49 33 Now in this final chapter we find three principles for profiting from our problems Grieve hopefully 50 1 14 When Joseph s beloved father dies he falls on his father weeping and kissing him 50 1 Joseph is a wonderful example of the fact that shedding tears at the death of a loved one doesn t reveal emotional weakness or a lack of faith Tears just reveal we love as God would have us We should never prevent people from weeping in grief because tears help vent our grief and maintain emotional health That s why there is a time to weep Eccles 3 4 However as we grieve we must remember what fact found in 1 Thessalonians 4 13c ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph orders his physicians to embalm his father an Egyptian process that took forty days The Egyptians mourned for Jacob seventy days 50 2 3 The seventy days included the forty day embalming process and thirty days of Hebrew mourning Num 20 29 Deut 34 8 Then keeping his promise to his father Joseph makes what special request of the Pharaoh Genesis 50 5 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ With Pharaoh s permission Joseph arranges one of the most spectacular and detailed funeral processions recorded in the Bible Pharaoh knows Egypt owes much to the father of the man who saved Egypt from starvation therefore Jacob cannot be buried as a common man The procession includes Egyptian senior dignitaries Joseph s family Jacob s other sons 55 NOTES

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and the entire household of Jacob There were also chariots and horsemen All this made up a very large impressive entourage 50 7 9 When the journey is almost complete the procession sets up camp at Atad Ay tad on the east side of the Jordan River After another seven days of mourning Jacob s sons carry his body into the land of Canaan and bury him in the cave with Abraham and Isaac as he requested 49 29 Then Joseph his brothers and the procession return to Egypt 50 10 14 In this passage we learn a healthy grieving process takes time We should not postpone the grieving process because refraining from grief keeps emotional wounds open and prolongs the pain However in the midst of our grief we should remember what promise in Psalm 62 8 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ To profit from your problems grieve hopefully and Live lovingly 50 15 21 With their father gone the brothers now fear Joseph will take revenge on them They know Joseph s deep love for his father would not allow him to take revenge on them earlier for fear of sending Jacob to an early grave Now that Jacob is dead they send a messenger to the powerful Joseph asking him to forgive their sins against him When Joseph receives the message he weeps 50 15 17 This makes six times the book of Genesis records that Joseph weeps All Joseph has done for his brothers seems to be in vain because they think he was merely postponing his revenge until Jacob died Joseph s pure heart is seen in the fact his heart is broken because his brothers think he harbors ill feelings toward them The same should be true of us It should break our hearts that anyone would feel we harbor feelings of bitterness hatred revenge or any other malicious feelings toward them In fear Joseph s brothers come and fall down before him and tell him they are his servants 50 18 The ones who sold him into slavery are now offering to become his slaves This reminds us of what principle found in Proverbs 11 8 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The brothers certainly have reason to fear because they are guilty of a diabolical act against Joseph However Joseph cannot bear the thought of his brothers fearing him Therefore he tells them twice not to be afraid 56

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50 19a 21a He also asks them if he is in the place of God to judge and punish them 50 19b In other words Joseph understands vengeance belongs to the Lord Rom 12 19 To let his brothers know he hasn t forgotten the evil thing they did to him Joseph says ye thought evil against me However what else does he say in Genesis 50 20 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ This statement reveals what enabled Joseph to endure years of injustice cruelty and problems We will never be able to profit from our problems unless we believe God has a good purpose for all our problems Rom 8 28 If we don t believe that we will never be able to forgive and live lovingly with everyone One reason God allows us to have problems is to mature us Joseph became prime minister of Egypt at the age of thirty 41 46 What caused Joseph to be mature enough to become the second most powerful man in the world at such a young age It was his problems the same process that God uses to mature us James tells us the testing of our faith develops patience Jas 1 3 Then when patience or endurance has its full effect we will be perfect mature and entire wanting nothing needed to serve God Jas 1 4 The two most important words in Genesis 50 20 are but God Looking at the use of the phrase but God in the Bible would make a great sermon series or Bible study Besides Genesis 50 20 another great but God verse is comforting when it comes our time to die Psalm 49 15 Write it below ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The Bible teaches we are all sinners destined for eternal damnation However another but God verse gives us what good news Romans 5 8 ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ If we are to profit from our problems we can never forget one of the most important phrases in the Bible but God God has a purpose for every problem He allows us to have When the purpose seems to elude us we must remember what Jesus said to His disciples the night before His crucifixion What did He tell them in John 13 7b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 57

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To profit from problems grieve hopefully live lovingly and Die confidently 50 22 26 Joseph lives in Egypt about fifty years after Jacob s death to the age of 110 years He lives to see his great great grandchildren by Ephraim and his great grandchildren by Manasseh 50 22 23 Joseph tells his brothers he will soon die 50 24a Then what does he tell them in Genesis 50 24b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Joseph was taken to Egypt when he was seventeen years old and now he is 110 so he has lived in Egypt for ninety three years Though scientifically architecturally and militarily advanced Egypt was spiritually depraved It was a polytheistic culture that worshipped gods in the form of the sun the Nile River animals and even insects The worship of some of their gods included sex orgies As prime minister Joseph was no doubt under intense pressure to conform to or at least approve of that culture Therefore for ninety three years he has longed to go home His dying words confirm his great faith in Jehovah and His promises Like his father Jacob Joseph requests his bones be taken to the Promised Land However unlike his father Joseph asks that his bones remain in Egypt until God brings all of Israel out of Egypt Joseph then dies is embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt 50 25 26 Some 360 years later Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt What does Exodus 13 19a record ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ The book of Joshua ends with the burial of Joseph s bones Josh 24 32 Victorious living is exciting but what makes it exciting It is the problems and tragedies of life that God turns into victories How is a journey into victorious living summed up in 1 John 5 4b ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ I am sure in heaven Joseph says amen every time that verse is read or quoted To profit from your problems grieve hopefully live lovingly and die confidently 58

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Boice James Montgomery Genesis An Expositional Commentary Volume 3 in a 3volume set Grand Rapids Michigan Zondervan Publishing House 1985 Brand Chad Charles Draper Archie England eds Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Nashville Tennessee Holman Bible Publishers 2003 Constable Thomas L Expository Notes On The Bible Galaxie Software Gaebelein Frank E ed The Expositor s Bible Commentary volume three in twelve volumes Grand Rapids Michigan Regency Reference Library Zondervan Publishing House 1978 Geisler Norman and Thomas Howe When Critics Ask USA Canada England Victor Books 1992 Getz Gene A Joseph Finding God s Strength in Times of Trial Ventura California Regal Books 1983 Keil C F F Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament Database WORDsearch Corporation 2003 Morris Henry M The Genesis Record Grand Rapids Michigan Baker Book House 1976 Phillips John Exploring Genesis Chicago Illinois Moody Press 1980 Swindoll Charles R Joseph From Pit to Pinnacle Fullerton California Insight For Living 1982 1984 Vine W E Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words Old Tappan New Jersey Fleming H Revell Company no copyright Visual Thesaurus Version 3 Thinkmap Incorporated 2005 Walvoord John F Roy B Zuck eds The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament Wheaton Illinois Victor Books 1985 Wiersbe Warren The Bible Exposition Commentary Pentateuch Colorado Springs Colorado Cook Communications Ministries 2001 Database WORDsearch Corporation 2007 WORDsearch 8 Austin Texas WORDsearch Corporation 1987 2008 59