Transcript Discipleship Across the Lifespan

The Joseph Narrative
Genesis 37-50
© John Stevenson, 2009
Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more
than all his sons, because he was the
son of his old age; and he made him a
varicolored tunic.
~ySiP; tn<toK. Two possible meanings:
• A coat with sleeves
• A coat with colors
Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more
than all his sons, because he was the
son of his old age; and he made him a
varicolored tunic.
~ySiP; tn<toK.
The same phrase is
used in 2 Samuel
13:18-19 to describe
Tamar’s royal robe
Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more
than all his sons, because he was the
son of his old age; and he made him a
varicolored tunic.
What does the Bible say about
favoritism?
Joseph’s Dreams
First Dream
• Binding sheaves
in a field
• Other sheaves
bowed down to
Joseph’s sheaf
Second Dream
• Sun, moon, and
eleven stars bow
down before
Joseph
Genesis 37:12-13
Then his brothers went to
pasture their father's flock in
Shechem. 13 Israel said to Joseph,
“Are not your brothers pasturing the
flock in Shechem? Come, and I will
send you to them.” And he said to
him, “I will go.”
Genesis 37:14
Then he said to him, “Go now
and see about the welfare of your
brothers and the welfare of the flock,
and bring word back to me.” So he
sent him from the valley of Hebron,
and he came to Shechem.
~Alv
Genesis 37:15-17
A man found him, and behold, he
was wandering in the field; and the
man asked him, “What are you
looking for?” 16 He said, “I am looking
for my brothers; please tell me where
they are pasturing the flock.” 17 Then
the man said, “They have moved from
here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go
to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his
brothers and found them at Dothan.
Dothan
Shechem
Hebron
Genesis 37:18
When they saw him from a
distance and before he came close to
them, they plotted against him to put
him to death.
Genesis 37:21-22
But Reuben heard this and
rescued him out of their hands and
said, “Let us not take his life.”
22 Reuben further said to them, “Shed
no blood. Throw him into this pit that
is in the wilderness, but do not lay
hands on him” -- that he might rescue
him out of their hands, to restore him
to his father.
What were Reuben’s possible
motives?
Genesis 37:28
Then some Midianite traders
passed by, so they pulled him up and
lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold
him to the Ishmaelites for twenty
shekels of silver. Thus they brought
Joseph into Egypt.
The Place of Providence
• Joseph just happened to be sent to
meet his brothers.
• A man just happened to have
heard the brothers’ moving plans
• Reuben just happened to intervene
• The caravan of Ishmaelites just
happened along
• They just happened to go to Egypt
Genesis 37:31-32
So they took Joseph’s tunic, and
slaughtered a male goat and dipped
the tunic in the blood; 32 and they sent
the varicolored tunic and brought it to
their father and said, “We found this;
please examine it to see whether it is
your son’s tunic or not.”
Joseph
Jesus
He was beloved by his He was the beloved of
father
the Father
He was hated by his
brothers and they
plotted to murder him
He was sold for 20
shekels of silver by
Judah
He was hated by his
brethren and they
plotted to murder him
He was sold for 30
pieces of silver by
Judas
George Sayour
Judah Interlude
Genesis 38
• Judah takes a Canaanite wife
• Judah arranges Canaanite
wives for his sons
• Death of Judah’s sons
• Tamar and the quest for an
heir
Genesis 38:13-14
It was told to Tamar, “Behold,
your father-in-law is going up to
Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she
removed her widow's garments and
covered herself with a veil, and
wrapped herself, and sat in the
gateway of Enaim, which is on the
road to Timnah; for she saw that
Shelah had grown up, and she had
not been given to him as a wife.
Genesis 38:15-16
When Judah saw her, he thought
she was a harlot, for she had covered
her face. 16 So he turned aside to her
by the road, and said, “Here now, let
me come in to you”; for he did not
know that she was his daughter-inlaw. And she said, “What will you give
me, that you may come in to me?”
Genesis 38:17-18
He said, therefore, “I will send
you a young goat from the flock.” She
said, moreover, “Will you give a
pledge until you send it?” 18 He said,
“What pledge shall I give you?” And
she said, “Your seal and your cord,
and your staff that is in your hand.” So
he gave them to her and went in to
her, and she conceived by him.
Genesis 38:24
Now it was about three months
later that Judah was informed, “Your
daughter-in-law Tamar has played the
harlot, and behold, she is also with
child by harlotry.” Then Judah said,
“Bring her out and let her be burned!”
“I am with child by the man to whom
these things belong” (Genesis 38:25)
Jacob deceives
Ten sons
Tamar deceives
Isaac
deceive Jacob
Judah
Jacob dons the
The sons of
Tamar take the
clothing of Esau
Jacob deceive pledge of Judah’s
and uses the skin him with the coat seal and cord and
of a goat in the of Joseph stained
staff and is
deception
with the blood of promised a goat
a goat
as payment
Isaac in 27:23 Jacob in 37:32
does not
asked to
recognize (rkn) examine (rkn)
Jacob
the coat
Judah
recognizes
(rkn) the items
of his pledge
What are we to
think of Tamar?
Judah recognized them, and said,
“She is more righteous than I,
inasmuch as I did not give her to
my son Shelah.” (Genesis 38:26)
Tamar is the account of a
Canaanite who came into the
covenant community and who
learned to value the heritage of
the seed of Abraham.
• Tamar: Dresses and acts
like a prostitute
• Rahab: Is a prostitute
• Ruth: A Moabite woman
• Bathsheba: An Adulterous
woman
• Mary: Shouldered the
assumption that she bore a
child out of wedlock
Genesis 38:27-28
It came about at the time she
was giving birth, that behold, there
were twins in her womb. 28 Moreover,
it took place while she was giving
birth, one put out a hand, and the
midwife took and tied a scarlet thread
on his hand, saying, “This one came
out first.”
Genesis 38:29-30
But it came about as he drew
back his hand, that behold, his brother
came out. Then she said, “What a
breach you have made for yourself!”
So he was named Perez. 30 Afterward
his brother came out who had the
scarlet thread on his hand; and he
was named Zerah.
Younger Brother Motif
•
•
•
•
•
Seth instead of Cain
Isaac instead of Ishmael
Jacob instead of Esau
Perez instead of Zerah
Ephraim instead of Manasseh
We have an elder brother who
has given us His inheritance
Judah
Joseph
Went to a foreigner of
his own will
Sexual immorality:
Went in to his
daughter-in-law
Taken to Egypt against
his will
Left his seal & cord
Accuser
Sons judged by God
Left his garment
Falsely accused
Blessed by God
True accusation of a
woman
False accusation of a
woman
Sexual morality:
Resisted seduction
Genesis 39 contains a story
that looks, from a human
perspective, to be one of
defeat
Promise
Seeming
Defeat
Supernatural
Fulfillment
Abraham:
He and Sarah A son is born in
Descendants
are both
their old age
will be a
barren and old
multitude
Jacob: To be He becomes a He returns with
given rule over
fugitive in
great wealth
the land
Haran
Joseph: Your A slave in the
family will bow
prison of a
down to you
foreign
superpower
He is raised up
to become the
second in all of
Egypt
Promise
Moses: You
will lead your
country out of
bondage
Jesus: The
Kingdom of
Heaven is at
hand
Seeming
Defeat
Supernatural
Fulfillment
Rejected by
Israelites; a
fugitive in
Midian
Crucified,
dead and
buried; His
disciples
scattered
Leads Israel out
of Egypt and
through the Red
Sea
Resurrection;
Ascension; the
giving of the
Holy Spirit to
spread the
gospel to the
ends of the
earth
The Lord’s Presence
• The LORD was with Joseph, so he
became a successful man (39:2).
• Now his master saw that the LORD was
with him and how the LORD caused all
that he did to prosper in his hand (39:3).
• But the LORD was with Joseph and
extended kindness to him, and gave him
favor in the sight of the chief jailer (39:21).
The Lord’s Presence
• The chief jailer did not supervise anything
under Joseph's charge because the
LORD was with him; and whatever he
did, the LORD made to prosper. (Genesis
39:23).
How did Joseph’s presence in
Egypt benefit the various
characters in the narrative?
How does the presence of
Christians in the world today
benefit others with whom they
are associated?
Genesis 41:14-15
Then Pharaoh sent and called
for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought
him out of the dungeon; and when he
had shaved himself and changed his
clothes, he came to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had
a dream, but no one can interpret it;
and I have heard it said about you,
that when you hear a dream you can
interpret it.”
Genesis 41:16
Joseph then answered Pharaoh,
saying, “It is not in me; God will give
Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
~Alv'
Genesis 41:32
“Now as for the repeating of the
dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that
the matter is determined by God, and
God will quickly bring it about.”
Genesis 41:33-34
“Now let Pharaoh look for a man
discerning and wise, and set him over
the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take
action to appoint overseers in charge
of the land, and let him exact a fifth of
the produce of the land of Egypt in the
seven years of abundance.”
Genesis 41:35-36
“Then let them gather all the food
of these good years that are coming,
and store up the grain for food in the
cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and
let them guard it. 36 Let the food
become as a reserve for the land for
the seven years of famine which will
occur in the land of Egypt, so that the
land will not perish during the famine.”
Genesis 41:38-40
Then Pharaoh said to his
servants, “Can we find a man like this,
in whom is a divine spirit?” 39 So
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God
has informed you of all this, there is
no one so discerning and wise as you
are. 40 You shall be over my house,
and according to your command all
my people shall do homage; only in
the throne I will be greater than you.”
In the Days of Joseph
THE NILE
The Pyramids
were already
many hundreds
of years old
Middle Kingdom
1991 - 1786 B.C.
Pyramid
era
Dynasty
12
1991 - 1786
Era of the
biblical
patriarchs
New
Kingdom
Dynasties
18-20
1587 - 1085
Era of
Moses
and the
Exodus
3rd Intermediate Period
2686 – 2181
Middle
Kingdom
2nd Intermediate Period
Dynasties
3-6
1st Intermediate Period
Archaic Period
Old
Kingdom
Goshen
Joseph’s brothers hate him (37)
Interlude: Judah signified as leader (38)
Joseph’s enslavement in Egypt (39)
Joseph before Pharaoh: A plan to save Egypt
(40-41)
Journeys of brothers to Egypt (42-43)
Brothers pass the test of love for their
brother (44-45)
Migrations of family to Egypt (46:1-27)
Joseph before Pharaoh: A plan to save Israel
(46:28 - 47:12)
Joseph’s enslavement of Egyptians (47:13-31)
Interlude: Judah blessed as ruler (48:1 - 49:28)
Joseph’s brothers fear him (49:29 - 50:26)
Joseph manipulates his brothers in
order to bring the family back
together, not just physically, but
spiritually.
Joseph manipulates his brothers in
order to bring the family back
together, not just physically, but
spiritually.
As Moses writes this
narrative, God is doing
the same thing to Israel.
Joseph manipulates his brothers in
order to bring the family back
together, not just physically, but
spiritually.
What is God doing in
your life today to bring
you closer to Himself?
Blessing on Ephraim &
Manasseh
Genesis 48
Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, as he was dying,
blessed each of the sons of Joseph,
and worshiped, leaning on the top of
his staff.
Genesis 49:1-2
Then Jacob summoned his sons
and said, “Assemble yourselves that I
may tell you what will befall you in the
days to come. 2 Gather together and
hear, O sons of Jacob; And listen to
Israel your father.”
Genesis 49:8-9
hd'y"
Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of
your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to
you.
9 Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have
gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him
up?
Genesis 49:10
The scepter shall not depart from
Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his
feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of
the peoples.
Burial arrangements for Israel (1-3)
Joseph’s petition to Pharaoh (4-6)
Preparation to bury Jacob (7-9)
Mourning over Jacob (10-12)
Burial of Jacob (12-14)
Joseph’s brothers petition him (15-21)
Burial arrangements & death of
William Ramey
Joseph (22-26)
Genesis 50:19-20
But Joseph said to them, “Do not
be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20
As for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good in order to
bring about this present result, to
preserve many people alive.”
A Pattern of Israel’s
Purpose
• Altars & Worship
• A Sense of Purpose
• Unity
• Racial & Religious Purity
Genesis 50:25-26
Then Joseph made the sons of
Israel swear, saying, “God will surely
take care of you, and you shall carry
my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph
died at the age of one hundred and
ten years; and he was embalmed and
placed in a coffin in Egypt.