Friday: Further Thought ~ Israel in Egypt
Further Thought:
Ellen G. White, “Joseph and His Brothers,” in Patriarchs and Prophets, Pages 233-240.
“The life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ. It was envy that moved the brothers of Joseph to sell him as a slave; they hoped to prevent him from becoming greater than themselves.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
And when he was carried to Egypt, they flattered themselves that they were to be no more troubled with his dreams, that they had removed all possibility of their fulfillment. But their own course was overruled by God to bring about the very event that they designed to hinder. So the Jewish priests and elders were jealous of Christ, fearing that He would attract the attention of the people from them. They put Him to death, to prevent Him from becoming king, but they were thus bringing about this very result.
Joseph, through his bondage in Egypt, became a savior to his father’s family; yet this fact did not lessen the guilt of his brothers. So the crucifixion of Christ by His enemies made Him the Redeemer of mankind, the Savior of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole world; but the crime of His murderers was just as heinous as though God’s providential hand had not controlled events for His own glory and the good of man.
As Joseph was sold to the heathen by his own brothers, so Christ was sold to His bitterest enemies by one of His disciples. Joseph was falsely accused and thrust into prison because of his virtue; so Christ was despised and rejected because His righteous, self-denying life was a rebuke to sin; and though guilty of no wrong, He was condemned upon the testimony of false witnesses. And Joseph’s patience and meekness under injustice and oppression, his ready forgiveness and noble benevolence toward his unnatural brothers, represent the Savior’s uncomplaining endurance of the malice and abuse of wicked men, and His forgiveness, not only of His murderers, but of all who have come to Him confessing their sins and seeking pardon.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, Pages 239, 240.
Discussion Questions:
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We have come to the end of our lesson studies on Genesis and it is probably time for a recap. A couple of questions:
1. What expectations did you bring into this lesson study? Were they fulfilled or were you disappointed?
2. What do you think was in the minds of the GC lesson committee when they decided to have a series of studies on Genesis? Or what is just that the time had come in the series of lessons?
Genesis is not a nice story. The entrance of sin, the first murder. the proliferation of evil, the destruction of the world, people thinking they wanted to be gods, incest, family squabbles, payback, deceipt, more deceipt, still more deceit, and so on.
If there is one thing we learn from Genesis it is that God does not give up. He keeps hammering away with the basic them that he loves his creation and is persistent. I understand persistence. I have a PhD in persistent systems. One of the key features of a persistent system is its resilience. When a persistent system crashes, it restarts in a consistent state.
And I think that God, in his dealings with mankind, has given us persistence. When we crash, even though it is our own choosing, God is there to restart us in a persistent state.
Here are the words of a sinner who describes the relationship so well.
That is what I learned from this study.
Well said, my Brother.
It's worth to say that no matter how much nonsense and stupidity we are showing in our relationship with Father God.
In the end, He will always prevail!
What have I learned from this study:
Hindsight is 20/20 !
Shalom
🙏
This quarter's lesson gave me a new appreciation of our heavenly Father's reach as He proves Himself to be the God of Love and Righteousness. He knows, understands, and empathizes with human frailty, its weaknesses and strength; knowing our weakness when left to our own devises as we use them to justify ‘self’. He knows the strength of faith, when coupled with the living Word of God, to overcome these limiting, self-seeking tendencies.
I think it is very important to remember that our heavenly Father's will ultimately is to bring about good from everything, even that which in man's eye appears as something bad. He can weave it into the fabric of His covering blanket of Mercy and Grace for the salvation of mankind to bring about that which is good.
I see Joseph and Jesus both demonstrating this strength of faith after having decided to rely on God’s Justice and Mercy exclusively when living their lives according to God’s Way and Will.
Everyone experiences human weakness and falls short of the Glory of God. But God offered His Son for us to show us His Way of Light and Life. Our Creator Father’s loving Grace and Mercy will express itself in all who invite Him to become the Captain of their soul.
To trust Him and to live His Truth by faith in all circumstances is what He calls us to do – Rom.8:28; John16:33; James 1:12; Phil.4:6-7.
Despite our shortcoming our heavenly father cares for us and his promises are sure .
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This is one of the Bible Basics that I learned from Genesis - everyone has to chose from the following options:
Good or Evil
God Almighty or Slippery Serpent
Loving-Kindness or Selfishness.
If we choose God, He desires of us to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
As we spend our time learning about the character of the LORD we are being transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit.
Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-5
Deut 10:12
2Cor 3:18
I love where the Apostle Paul says here, "...from one degree of glory to another." Then this also reminds me of where he said in Philippians 3:13,14 that he essentially had not yet attained to the Final Glory yet, but that he kept his eyes at that Final Glory. That final glory is when God, after His Son returns to this earth, will give us "Glorified and Eternal Bodies," 1John 3:1,2. It is not until we "see" Jesus (when He shall appear,) that we will be exactly like Him in character and flawless, sinless perfection.
I learned God is a loving God in so many ways. He loves all. And works with us in so many ways. Giving us the opertunity to change, for the better through Him and by His power. Not Just the testimony of Joseph, also through out the stories of Genesis, we are shown and given conformation of God can be with us through life's journey even if we have fallen He will lovingly pick us up bursh the dust off and give us the mind of Christ, if we choose. I choose Him. Genesis 31:3. Genesis 46:4
All who come to Him confessing sins and seeking pardon He will grant. Amen. Isaiah 55:7.
Maurice asks: "What do you think was in the minds of the GC lesson committee when they decided to have a series of studies on Genesis?"
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The text-based studies are on a long cycle, interspersed with topical studies. There is usually two of each per year.
Genesis was chosen a few years back when the Wilson administration passed an amendment to the Fundamental Beliefs stressing a "recent" Creation (see FB#6). The GC wants to remove any form of old-earth creationism from Adventist thought.
The task of editing is much more recent.