If you have to teach a Bible study on Joseph

Here are some helps:

Most of us are familiar with the outlines of Joseph’s story. Last week I told you about my brother-in-law who at 58 is just learning the story, and when you think about it, it’s like a movie, very strong narrative, although it takes place over decades. 

So I want to review the story, then show the parallels between Joseph and Daniel and in this advent season, Joseph and Jesus.

Joseph is first mentioned in Gen. 30:22. Rachel had been unable to get pregnant for many years and pulled a Sarah by having her husband sleep with her maid, Bilhah, which only shows how steeped in paganism they were.

It is 500 years now before Moses will receive the law. I listen to Jewish political commentators and their theological head is Moses. The Jews trace themselves back to Abraham genetically and for the promise of the land, but it was not until Moses and the Law that they began to live for God in a distinguishable way. It is as if they had to be rescued from slavery before they could live right, which is parallel to us; we have to be rescued from sin through the cross before we can live right, and trying to live right before the cross in our lives does no good.

Joseph’s character, especially as he grows older, is far more in line with the ethics that a Jew under the law would be expected to live. In fact, he is so different from his brothers that I have to wonder where he learned this more honorable behavior that his family did not engage in. He didn’t learn it from them. We would be tempted to see Joseph as too good to be true if he weren’t such an arrogant little tattle tale as a teenager.  But even then he is showing prophetic gifts. Joseph was a sinner but his overall life was identified with patience, integrity, wisdom, and forgiveness.

So, Joseph is the 11^th son of Jacob, the first through Rachel. Later she will die in childbirth with Benjamin, whom Joseph has a special connection to as his mother’s son. When Joseph was born Rachel said, “God has taken away my reproach.” Joseph’s name means “He will add (another son to me),” which could be taken as a statement of faith from Rachel or a statement that she was more concerned about her own reproach than that she had received a child after all these years. She did have another son but would not enjoy him. The text says that after Joseph’s birth, Jacob decided to leave Laban, so this means it’s been at least twenty years before Rachel had a child. That’s a long time to go without having a baby.

Joseph is Jacob’s favorite because of his love for Rachel, but he is not the heir of the family. We do not read of Joseph until chapter 37, which we studied last week. His brothers sell him into slavery. They then lie to their father. What a mess! I have to love how the Bible does not pull any punches about the sin of its people. Joseph the deceiver is deceived again, with horrible consequences. This is so cruel. He spends decades mourning his son until at the end of his life he knew the truth. Eventually the Israelites would spend 400 years in bondage in Egypt because of it.  Sin can be forgiven but there are inevitable consequences. We should never get the idea that the effects of sin just disappear with salvation. There can be healing but scars.

Read 39:11 to end.

Joseph spent most of his life in Egypt. Egypt has great symbolic and historic significance in the scriptures. Egypt in a sense represents the secular world that co-exists with God’s people and is not a full friend but is also not a full enemy. Egypt is sometimes a refuge for God’s people—Mary and Joseph and Jesus; Jeremiah is another example. Even in this narrative, Egypt is a place where the Israelites are protected from famine, although that protection becomes an enslavement after the Pharaoh that Joseph serves dies and he is forgotten (the phrase, there arose a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph).

This is a picture: the world can seem like a refuge, but it brings its own type of enslavement. Egypt, although pagan, was distinct from the pagans of Mesopotamia. Interestingly, in reading the story of Potiphar’s wife, in most cultures of the day Joseph would have just been executed, no big deal, but Egypt had a prison system. Of course, there is also the possibility that Potiphar liked Joseph so much that he was willing to put him in prison to placate his honor and his wife (piece of work, heh?) but not kill Joseph.

Next episode:  41:9-16

At this point, Joseph’s life really parallels Daniel’s. Jewish boy makes good. They show exceptional leadership ability even as captives, and they can interpret dreams. They both said that interpretation ability came from God, and they were seen as inspired by God. These cultures were polytheistic so they had no trouble saying “your god did this, my god did that.” The dreams were highly symbolic and visual. This ability gets to Pharaoh (Nebuchadnezzar). Interesting note:—he was shaved before seeing Pharaoh.

Based on the dreams, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge. A bit much for us, but the Egyptians were superstitious (look at their burial practices) and prized dream ability, and Joseph already had a reputation for leadership under Potiphar (the captain of the guard under Pharaoh) and in the prison. I think Joseph must have had certain skills naturally, like communication and assertiveness, that helped that, but he attributes it to God. 

Joseph is slowly humbled about his place but not about his abilities from God. 

Parallels with Daniel:

Captive as a teenager, separated from family.

Rose to Leadership in a pagan, secular society but kept godly integrity

Spent whole life there

Dream ability, clearly attributes to God

Integrity and lifelong connection to Jewish roots

Amazing personal skills for leadership from a young age.  (What makes a leader?)

Led to salvation for fellow Jews

Parallels with Jesus

Beloved of his father

“Killed” at hands of his own people

Raised to leadership after death

Saves his people from famine

Integrity

Fulfills ancient promises