32. Beginner Bible Course: The story of Joseph

EPISODE 32  The simple Bible overview of…THE STORY OF JOSEPH

Hey, we're 80%...

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...of the way through Genesis let's take a moment to review year after years I'm teaching Genesis. I get the word picture in my head of pregnancy birth and raising a baby. God tells the share might Abraham that one day he'll have a child and eventually become a great nation with the number of descendants, like the stars of heaven. He adds. He'll give Abraham a very special land. Actually. He won't give it to Abraham himself. He'll give it to his descendants 400 years later, best of all, all nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. We've identified that as the Stomper, Abraham passes this on to Isaac and Isaac to Jacob, we called these three men, the trunk of God's family tree, the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac looked forward to the birth of a nation coming from them.

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They come and go with relatively very few children to show for it, but then we get to Jacob renamed Israel. In our last episode, we see he has a daughter and 12 sons in future episodes. We'll see those 12 sons become tribes, big tribes, numerous tribes, the ones that will eventually occupy the land promised to Abraham and Isaac in the life of Jacob now called Israel it's. As if conception has occurred, there's clearly something developing. When it, all of us are fertilized. It descends to a place where it can grow the womb in the same way. Jacob's children.

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The children of Israel need some place to develop into a great nation, a nation to whom God gives the promised land. Looking forward in the text. We'll discover that nation as Egypt we'll see them develop into a massive number of people. As God told Abraham in Genesis chapter 15, we'll meet the obstetrician. God used to deliver them. Moses and his brother, Aaron will look at the plagues, the contractions that finally pushed them out. And then the live birth a baby is born in the desert and we'll look at how God grew them from infants to adults in the books of Exodus, through Deuteronomy.

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What we'll discover in this episode, the life of Joseph is how God brought these people. The children of Israel from conception to a womb, to Egypt where they will grow into a nation. Here's the amazing story Joseph had been sold by his brothers. Two-ish malign traders. They sold them off to an Egyptian official, a high official Pottipher. The captain of Pharaoh's guards were told Joseph had a magic mitis touch, everything he did. He did well soon Potiphar's household is flourishing. Joseph has it running like a fine Swiss watch this Hebrew slave Joseph likely about 20 years old is an impressive young man.

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Then he runs into a Cougar Potiphar's wife. She prowls around this house. After this young man, she propositions him day after day, trying to wear him down. Joseph will have none of it. One day as she tracks him, he stops her in her tracks and says, my master, your husband trusts me with everything in this house. He keeps nothing back from me except you, his wife. How could I do this great thing and sin against God? Well done. Jo Jo she's relentless. One day Joseph enters the house and no one's there. Potiphar's Cougar pounces. She grabs him and says, bed me Joseph fleas.

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He leaves that garment. She's holding in her hands. I stopped to make a student application. At this point, I take them to the new Testament where we're instructed to flee temptation run for your lives. Mark Twain was said to have said there are many ways to handle temptation, but the best way is cowardice. As the poet said, hell hath no fury like a woman, scorned rebuffed Potiphar's wife, accuses Joseph of forcing himself on her Pottipher was furious. And he threw Joseph in prison. I asked my students who was Pottipher for furious at anyway. They look at me with dumb, Mr.

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Nelson Joseph. Then I suggest if Pottipher was furious to Joseph. If he believed that after entrusting everything to Joseph Joseph had attacked his wife. What would Pottipher have done to him? Joseph is his property, his slave. Then I suggest Potiphar's angry at his wife and himself. He knew Joseph's integrity. He knew his wife's prowling ways. And perhaps he was angry that he put Joseph in such jeopardy. Perhaps prison was his way of saving face, or even getting Joseph into protective custody, falsely accused, and sent to prison. Joseph decided to make the best of it.

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Almost immediately. His mitis touch returned everything he did. He did well soon he was put as steward over the entire prison. It was here that he met the Baker and the cup air to Pharaoh. Pharaoh had thrown them in there. Maybe suspecting an assassination attempt. One day Joseph notice both the Baker and the cup bearer were really down. They'd had some troubling dreams and nobody could tell them what they meant. Joseph said, my God knows all things. Maybe he can help me interpret the dream. Joseph hears both dreams and interprets them to the cup area. He said, good news. You'll be doing your job before Pharaoh again. In three days to the bakery, he said not so good news.

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In three days, you'll be dead and birds will be eating your flesh. Three days later, both were released. Joseph's plea was remember me in this prison, the Baker was killed and the cup bearer restored. It happened just as Joseph said, unfortunately, the cup bearer forgot all about Joseph. That was until Pharaoh had his dreams. Two years later, Pharaoh woke up from two dreams and he was unsettled. His magicians and dream interpreters came up empty when he told them the dream that's when the cup air remembered Joseph in prison. It's been two years. Joseph has summoned from prison, cleaned up quick and brought before Pharaoh Pharaoh said, I've heard you've got a knack for interpreting dreams.

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Joseph corrects him. God can interpret dreams. I'm just as messenger. Boy, let's give it a shot. You can read about Pharaoh's dreams and chapter 41 Joseph knows the meaning. Immediately. Pharaoh there'll be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine that you had the same kind of dream. Twice is confirmation from God. It's a done deal. Then Joseph goes further. He suggests the plan. Pharaoh find a secretary of agriculture for Egypt have him find County commissioners in every area store away the surplus for the next seven years. And you'll be ready for the famine. The following seven years, Pharaoh pauses looks at as advisors looks at Joseph and said, who would possibly be better than you?

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It sounds too amazing to believe, but in one day Joseph moves from Kings prisoner to second in command. His secretary of agriculture Pharaoh gives him an Egyptian name. Get this God speaks. The text tells us he's 30 years old. It's been nearly a dozen years since he was sold by his brothers into slavery. And most of that time has been in that prison, which could explain the second observation he's developed into quite the amazing man. There's a saying, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. That's a very biblical concept. God forges character best in the fires of adversity.

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The story continues. The Joseph gets an Egyptian wife and has two boys Manasseh, which means forgets. You can almost read his mind. He's helping me forget what's happened in my past. Then he has Efrim prosperity. God is prospering me. Joseph began stockpiling the bumper crops and they are bumper indeed. Then after seven years, famine strikes, not just Egypt but spreads into Canaan where Israel formerly Jacob and Joseph's brothers and sister Dinah live. What happens in Genesis 42 through 44 is an extraordinary story.

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I won't spoil you. The joy of discovering it yourself. Let me just give you the 40,000 foot view with supplies running very low in Canaan. Jacob sends 10 of his sons to Egypt where he hears they've got an abundance of food. Thanks to Joseph. He keeps one son home. Guess who? Little bin son of his right hand. They arrive in Egypt and are brought before the secretary of agriculture. Their brother Joseph. They don't recognize him, but Joseph immediately recognizes them. And his brothers bow down before him, speaking of Egyptian through a translator, he accuses them of being spies over and over.

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He then interrogates them about their family in any members that may be back in Canaan. They tell him about their father and their youngest brother. Ben Joseph throws him in prison for a few days, then decides to keep one hostage Semyon and send the rest back home with food. He tells them, you can have your brother Simeon back. If you bring your little brother back to prove you're telling the truth. When they get back to Jacob and tell them what happened and how he can get Simeon back, Jacob will have none of it. He believes he's lost one favorite son to while bees, he won't lose his other one, but growling stomachs forces hand one of his sons, Judah steps forward and offers Jacob his life for Benz.

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Let me repeat that. One of Jacob's sons. Judah offers his life for Benz. If he doesn't bring band back safe. Jacob, finally relents Simeon's release from prison. And again, the brothers bow before Joseph the text tells us the moment Joseph saw little bin. He rushes from the room. He finds a private place and breaks into sobs, recomposing himself. He goes back to the meal. The brothers are served. Food fit for a King, but Ben's plate is piled much higher than his other brothers Joseph watches. When they're done eating, Joseph sends a message to his servants to pack the men's bags with grain and to put his special chalice in the pack of one of the brothers.

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After saying goodbye, the brothers begin to return to Canaan, but are stopped just outside the city. By Joseph's officials, they're accused of stealing the chalice of the secretary of agriculture. Each bag was searched. The chalices found in Ben's bag, seizing Ben. They returned to Joseph's house. The rest of the brothers tag, along behind a Joseph's house. Judah steps forward. He offers to be a substitute for his little brother, Ben telling Joseph. We can't return without Ben it'll kill our dad. Joseph melts, dismissing all his body guards. He speaks for the first time in Hebrew. I am Joseph.

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It's been 20 years since the pit, his brothers have changed. One only imagine the emotion of the children of Israel. Then Joseph says this don't be angry with yourself for selling me off as a slave. It wasn't you. It was God, God sent me ahead of you for this day to save your lives. Chapter 45 ends with Jacob sons on Egyptian wagons, heading for Canaan to pick up Israel formerly called Jacob and his family. There'll be brought to Egypt and given choice lands to not just survive the famine, but to thrive for almost 300 years.

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A baby nation, the children of Israel have been conceived and we'll travel to a place where they can just date into a nation. We'll examine the where and the how of that just station in our next wordpicture.