Why did God bless Joseph?
(Genesis 36-41; Psalm 105:16-22; Acts 7:8-10; John 4:5) Blog Jun. 5-11, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world with perfect creatures, but sin changed all that. Things got so bad that 2000 years later God destroyed the earth by a flood. When Noah’s descendants got worse God called Abraham to be his representative. The promises God made to Abraham were renewed to Isaac and Jacob despite the faults in their characters.
Off to a troubled start
1. In Genesis 36 what point is emphasized at least four times? Genesis 36 emphasizes that Esau is the progenitor of the Edomites who settled in Mount Seir. Edom means “red” (Gen. 25:30; 36:1, 8, 19, 43).
2. What things about Rachel’s son Joseph aggravated his ten older brothers? Joseph was his father’s favorite son, he reported the bad deeds of his brothers, he told his brothers dreams that placed him above them, & his father made him a princely coat of many colors (Gen. 37:2-11; John 4:5).
3. What was the first dream that Joseph told to his brothers? Joseph dreamed that in the harvest his sheaf of grain stood tall while those of his eleven brothers bowed down to his sheaf (Gen. 37:6-8).
4. What was the second dream Joseph told to his brothers? Joseph dreamed that the sun & the moon & eleven stars bowed down to him (Gen. 37:9).
5. How did Jacob react to Joseph’s second dream? Jacob reproved Joseph for thinking that his father & mother would bow to him but he believed that God was revealing the future to his son (Gen. 37:10).
6. What kind of reception did Joseph receive from his brothers when sent by his father to enquire of their welfare? Joseph’s brothers threw him in a dry well, thinking to kill him, but then, at Judah’s suggestion, sold him as a slave into Egypt (Gen. 37:12-28; Acts 7:8-9).
7. When Jacob was shown Joseph’s bloody coat of many colors, what was his reaction? Jacob guessed that a wild animal had killed Joseph & that he would only be together with him again in death: so, he mourned uncontrollably (Gen. 37:31-35).
Blessings and Challenges
8. When Judah married a Canaanite who bore him three sons what strange events took place? After marrying his first son to Tamar, that son died, so he gave her to his second son who had no desire to raise up heirs for his dead brother & he died. After promising Tamar his third son when he became old enough, Judah delayed & after his wife died Tamar tricked him into producing twins by her & he recognized that her trickery was more righteous than his failed promise (Gen. 38:1-26).
9. Where does the firstborn of Tamar’s twins appear in the New Testament? Tamar’s firstborn, Pharez, is mentioned in Luke & in Matthew as a progenitor of David & of Jesus (Matt. 1:3-6; Luke 3:33).
10. Meanwhile, back in Egypt, what is happening to Joseph? After Joseph was sold into slavery, he determined to be true to the God of his father & God blessed him as he worked in Potiphar’s house (Gen. 39:1-3).
11. What severe temptation was Joseph faced with after Potiphar put him as overseer in charge of all his house? Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tried to seduce Joseph, & when she finally grabbed him he fled (Gen. 39:4-15).
12. When Potiphar’s wife told him that Joseph had tried to rape her, what did he do? In order to save the reputation of his house, Potiphar had Joseph placed in the prison dungeon with his feet shackled in iron (Gen. 39:16-20; Psa. 105:17-19).
13. How did Joseph fare in prison? In prison Joseph behaved so well that soon he was given responsibilities there by the keeper of the prison: so much so that he eventually ran the whole prison (Gen. 39:21-23).
14. What two important officers were at one time placed in Joseph’s charge in the prison? Pharaoh’s chief butler & chief baker were placed under Joseph’s care in prison (Gen. 40:1-4).
15. How was Joseph’s kindly care of the prisoners demonstrated with Pharaoh’s officers? Joseph’s concern & care for the prisons is demonstrated by his kindness & concern for the wellbeing of the butler & the baker, for he listened to their dreams and rightly interpreted them for them (Gen. 40:5-23).
God interprets dreams
16. What request did Joseph make of the chief butler after interpreting his dream? Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him & ask Pharaoh for his release from the dungeon for he was innocent (Gen. 40:14-15).
17. What finally reminded the chief butler to mention Joseph to Pharaoh? Pharaoh had two dreams that all his wise men were unable to interpret & that reminded the chief butler of Joseph who had rightly interpreted his dream while in the dungeon (Gen. 41:1-9).
18. What were the two dreams that Pharaoh had? Pharaoh dreamed that seven fat cows came out of the river & then seven skinny cows came out and swallowed the seven fat cows. Then he dreamed about a stock of corn that had seven fat ears which were then devoured by seven skinny ears of corn (Gen. 41:1-8).
19. When Joseph was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams what principles of interpretation did he use? Joseph first depended on God to interpret the dreams he had given. Next, he reminded Pharaoh that God reveals the future before it happens & that the repetition of the same kind of dream shows that it is sure to take place very soon. Then he explained that the number seven referred to years & that “fat” referred to plenty & “thin” referred to famine (Gen. 41:14-32).
20. What advice did Joseph give Pharaoh and with what results? Joseph advised Pharaoh to get a wise man to oversee the land charging 20% tax in the good years so as to have food for the bad years & Pharaoh appointed Joseph to that task making him second ruler in Egypt (Gen. 41:33-41; Psa. 105:21-22; Acts 7:8-10).