Sabbath: Joseph, Prince of Egypt
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 41:37-46; 1 Kings 3:12; Genesis 42:1-38; Romans 5:7-11; Genesis 43:1-34; Genesis 44:1-34, Genesis 45:1-28.
Memory Text: “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt’” (Genesis 41:41, NKJV).
Joseph is now leader of Egypt, and his own brothers will bow before him without knowing who he is (Genesis chapter 42). Joseph’s brothers will humble themselves when Joseph forces them to return with Benjamin (Genesis chapter 43), and — when Benjamin’s safety is, they fear, threatened (Genesis chapter 44) — they will plead for grace before this powerful man, whom they see as “like Pharaoh.” At the end, when Joseph reveals his identity, they will understand that, despite what they had done, God had brought good out of it all.
Interestingly, this whole next sequence of events, which were supposed to be about Joseph’s success, are more about his brothers’ repentance. Their back-and-forth journeys from Joseph to their father, and the obstacles they encounter, made them remember their wicked acts toward Joseph and their father, and they realized their iniquity toward God. Joseph’s brothers live that whole experience as a divine judgment. And yet the moving emotional conclusion, which brings everyone to tears and joy, also contains a message of forgiveness for them, despite their unjustifiable acts of evil.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 18.
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As a prelude to this week's study, I thought I would briefly mention a bit of history. The Bible story of Joseph reports on his role as the sort of business manager for Pharoah during the drought period. Secular history records the Hyksos as a Semitic people settling in the delta region of the Nile during this time. No specific mention is made of the Israelites. We need to understand that during this period, not only did Jacob's family suffer from the effects of the drought but others living in Canaan were equally affected and there was quite possibly a general population migration towards Egypt. I doubt that the Egyptians would have made a distinction between the various groups that arrived from Canaan.
There are a couple of other facts we need to consider as well. Egypt was not a single united Kindom at the time. Upper and Lower Egypt were ruled separately. The migration of the Hyksos was essentially a lower Egypt issue.
Not all that much is known about the Hyksos apart from the fact that they were not well-liked. They were known as shepherds and to a certain extent clashed with the people who lived in the delta region because they were crop-growers. Some historians suggest that the Hyksos introduced horses to Egypt. However, that view is not universally accepted.
It would have been nice from our point of view if Joseph had received a mention in the secular history of the time, but given the attitude of the delta Egyptians towards the Hyksos, it is not surprising that he was omitted from the records. People have a tendency to write their own version of history. However, we can probably conclude that secular history is at least consistent with the Biblical record.
Today's lesson raises the suggestion that the 'saga' of dealings between Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 43-44 could be characterised as "Joseph’s brothers live (living) that whole experience as a divine judgment".
What kind of "divine judgment" is being suggested - an imposed one or an inherent one? Was Joseph aiming to punish and seek retribution upon his brothers for the unjust treatment he had suffered at their hands? Or were Joseph's actions motivated by a very different purpose and therefore playing a very different function?
If Joseph is a representation of Christ - as has been suggested previously in the lesson this quarter - then do Joseph's actions and motivation also reflect God's higher ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) of 'divine judgment'?
I invite you to carefully consider and investigate these questions as you study this week's lesson?
Reading through all the Scripture references, I found the following ones to be the most important, the most revealing of all –
Gen.45:5-8 - ”But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a POSTERITY for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”
By keeping focused on the overarching purpose of the unfolding events, God has shown Himself again to be faithful to keep His Covenant promises to preserve those whom He has chosen to participate in the fulfillment of His plan of Salvation for all mankind.
I pondered on this week's title "Joseph, Prince of Egypt".
What an amazing turnaround from a slave.
The only thing that remained consistent was Joseph's faith and obedience to God. Let us pray earnestly to do the same. May God richly bless you all during this week's study.
The picture above would be considered idolatry, like my former religion I was raised in, to bow to saints and images, however in the context of this shadow of Jesus, it is quite acceptable !
Revelation 5:8-14 (CSB)
8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.
12 They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
We don't worship shadows, we look for the Christ in them !