Genesis - Chapters 37-45

Jacob, renamed Israel, had 12 sons from four women. He loved Rachel and had to work for seven years to marry her. Leah, his other wife, had weak eyes. Rachel was barren, so she gave Jacob her maidservant who had two sons. Leah also gave Jacob her maidservant who had two sons. Leah had two more sons and a daughter. Rachel finally had a son named Joseph. Joseph was Jacob's favorite, which made his brothers jealous. They sold Joseph to Egypt. Joseph was falsely accused and put in jail. He interpreted dreams for the cupbearer and baker. Later, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and became ruler of Egypt. Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain and didn't recognize Joseph. Joseph tested them and revealed his identity. They brought their father Jacob to Egypt. Jacob was overjoyed to find out Joseph was alive. Joseph's life shows that God's timing is perfect and that there is a purpose and plan for each I am Julie Callio, your host, and thank you so very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If, by chance, you want to contact me, you can do that at cab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we're looking at chapters 37 through 45 with the life of Joseph, Jacob's son from the beloved wife Rachel. Jacob, whom the Lord had renamed Israel, had 12 sons from four different women. Jacob loved Rachel and had worked seven years to marry her, and then her dad did a switcheroo on him and gave him Leah instead. Leah was older and had weak eyes. In other words, she was not a looker. After one week of being married to Leah, he could then marry Rachel for another seven years of work. Verse 30 of chapter 29 reads, Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he worked for Laban another seven years. Leah had four boys, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Then, since Rachel was barren, she decided to give Jacob her maidservant, who had two boys, Dan and Naphtali. Since Leah stopped having children, she gave Jacob her maidservant, who had two boys, Gad and Asher. Then, Leah had two more boys, Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Chapter 30 verse 22 says, Then God remembered Rachel, who listened to her and opened her womb. She had a son named Joseph. Once Jacob and his family entered the promised land, Rachel died, giving birth to Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin. Since Jacob loved Rachel, her two sons were Jacob's favorites. Jacob's family, the Israelites, also known as the Hebrews, lived in Canaan. This section starts with Joseph being a 17 year old shepherd. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age. Since Joseph was his absolute favorite, Jacob made him a coat of many colors, which made his brothers hate him. Joseph had a dream, which said that his brothers would bow down to him, and this made their jealousy grow even more. One day, his dad sent Joseph off to find his brothers, who were tending the flocks. They saw him coming and planned to kill that dreamer. Reuben, the oldest, tried to rescue him from their plans. Judah also tried to convince the brothers that it would not benefit them if they killed Joseph. Instead, they stripped him of his beautiful coat and threw him in a dry cistern. As they were about to eat, a caravan heading to Egypt came by, and they decided to sell Joseph to them instead. They put blood on the coat and took it to their father, and said a wild animal devoured him and tore him to pieces. Verse 36, Meanwhile the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. In the midst of the story of Joseph, chapter 38 covers the story of Judah and Tamar. Tamar originally was Judah's daughter-in-law, but due to wickedness, the Lord struck Judah's son. As per custom, she then married the next son, but his wickedness brought about his own death too. Judah said, wait for my other son to become of age and you can marry him, but Judah did not keep his word. Judah's wife died, and so Tamar dressed up as a temple prostitute, and as Judah had gone into town, he slept with her. She was smart enough to collect Judah's seal and cord as a pledge of payment. About three months later, word spread that Tamar was pregnant. Judah was going to have her burned to death, but when he realized that he was the father, he said, she is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Sheila. He never had relations with her again, but she had twin boys Perez and Zerah. Now why was this included in the story? Because we find out that King David, and then ultimately Jesus, came from Judah, the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, and that's found in Matthew chapter 1 verse 3. So that is a big deal, which is why it was included. Now chapter 39 comes back to the story of Joseph. He worked hard and the Lord blessed him in all he did. Joseph became in charge of all that Potiphar had, except for his food and his wife, until that very wife made advances toward Joseph, who had not reciprocated, and actually he ran away while she still held his cloak in her hands. She didn't cry out for help, blamed Joseph, who was then placed in jail. Even in jail, God blessed Joseph, and he found favor in the eyes of the prison warden. In chapter 40, while in prison, a cupbearer and baker of the king were imprisoned as well. They both had dreams. The Lord allowed Joseph to interpret those dreams, and in three days the cupbearer would be released and back to his duty, but the baker will be put to death. That came to pass, but once released, the cupbearer forgot Joseph, until Pharaoh had dreams. In chapter 41, the cupbearer told Pharaoh, now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. Chapter 41 verse 12, Pharaoh sent for Joseph. They cleaned him up, and then he answered Pharaoh. I cannot do it, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, but God will give Pharaoh the answers he desires. Verse 16, Egypt would have seven years of great abundance, but following that would be seven years of drought. Verse 31, the abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. It was decided that Joseph would be the man to take charge of the storing of food. Pharaoh said to Joseph, since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be put in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. Verses 39 and 40. Verse 46 tells us that Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh the king. Joseph married and had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. The famine was not just in Egypt, but all the way to Canaan. In verses 1 and 2 of chapter 42 read, when Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, why do you just keep looking at each other? He continued, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die. Then Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt. The other son of Rachel, Benjamin, stayed with his father, because Jacob was afraid harm might come to him. When they arrived, Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Verse 9 comments that Joseph then remembered his dreams when he was 17 years old. Through a series of events, Joseph called them spies. He kept Simeon as collateral, and his brothers were to go and get their younger brother Benjamin as proof that they were telling the truth. When the nine brothers got back with their grain, their father Jacob said to them, you have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin? Everything is against me. Verse 36, Jacob waited as long as he could. Judah vowed that he would bring Benjamin back, and finally they went back to Egypt. When they arrived, Joseph gave them a feast, placed them in birth order, which surprised them, and gave extra food to his full-blooded brother Benjamin. In the morning they headed back home full of grain, but Joseph placed a silver cup in Benjamin's sack. Joseph then sent his servants to go and check the bags, and demanded that Benjamin, the thief, be brought back. Judah pleaded with Joseph, and said in chapter 44 verse 30, so now if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Judah pleaded to take Benjamin's place. Verse 1 of chapter 45 says, then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, have everyone leave my presence. So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. When Joseph told them the truth, the brothers were terrified, and Joseph said to them, and now do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me to you. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Verses 5 and 7. When Pharaoh heard Joseph's family had come, he was pleased, and the brothers were sent back with food, and gifts, and a big cart, in order to be able to have Jacob and his family come to Egypt to live. When they arrived, they told their father that Joseph was still alive, and his ruler over Egypt. Of course Jacob was stunned, but when he heard them, and saw the carts Joseph had sent in order to carry him back to Egypt, Jacob's spirit revived. Verse 28. And Israel said, I'm convinced my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. I've often thought that Joseph would not have been in such a mess if he had just kept his mouth quiet about his dreams. But the truth is, the jealousy in his family was still great, because the parents played favorites. Even though God was with Joseph, and Joseph was upright in his actions, his life was not easy. Yet he continued to be faithful to God. It took about 13 to 15 years before Joseph saw the fulfillment of his brothers bowing down to him in his dreams. During that time he was sold, enslaved, accused, imprisoned, and then came the realization that God had placed him at just the right time, and at just the right place, to save many lives, because there was a famine in the land. Oh ladies, wherever you are in your life today, this lesson shows us that God's timing is perfect. There are lessons to be learned in the tough times, and they come to all of us. But your life is not an accident. God has a purpose and a plan for you. The question is, will you submit to his plan, or will you run the other way? If by chance you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your heart. Instead, let's be women who walk in faith and obey. Until next time, and thank you so very much for listening.