Session 12
Joseph continued to reconnect with his brothers.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers,
“Please, come near me,”
and they came near.
“I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt.
5 And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.
6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.
7 God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land
and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God.
He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household,
and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Believers can affirm God’s plans for their lives.
Facilitate a brief discussion about how Joseph was able to see past all the distractions and recognize God’s true purpose in things.
(v. 5) Don’t be grieved or angry:
Joseph wisely recognized that although his brothers had plotted evil, God had been at work for good in his adverse circumstances.
The Hebrew word rendered grieved relates to both physical pain and emotional sorrow.
The same verb appears in Genesis 6:6 to depict the grief in the Lord’s heart because of human wickedness.The term translated angry literally means “to be hot” or “to burn.”
The verb is always used in reference to anger.
It differs from other Hebrew words for anger in that it stresses the kindling of anger like the kindling of a fire or the heat of that anger once it is kindled.(v. 5) God sent me:
Joseph interpreted his experiences-both good and bad-from a divine perspective.
The verb translated sent occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe someone sending another person on a mission.
The same verb depicts Israel’s (Jacob’s) sending Joseph on a mission to check on his brothers (Gen. 37:13-14).(v. 5) To preserve life:
The Old Testament presents the possession of life as an intrinsic good
(see Job 2:4; Prov. 3:16; Eccl. 9:4).
It focuses on life as an experience, not an abstract principle of vitality.
Remnant
Verse 7 contains the first reference to what later becomes a significant Old Testament teaching.
The word identifies something left over, particularly the Lord’s righteous people after divine judgment.
“God had sent Joseph to Egypt ahead of his family to preserve their lives and the lives of many others.”
briefly explain the key points in verses 6-8.
(v. 8) Father to Pharaoh:
Joseph served as a special advisor to the king.
The term father may designate a person held in high regard, even by the king
(see 2 Kings 6:21).
This description highlights the esteem of Joseph’s position in Egypt.
Joseph correctly attributed his reception of this honor to God rather than to Pharaoh.
Note that Joseph emphasized God’s hand at work three times in this passage.
how might that have calmed some of his brothers’ fears?