Early Jewish History, Genesis 12—50 

Joseph's Story Begins

1. Joseph’s Prophetic Dreams (Genesis 37:1-11)​

2. Plot to Harm Joseph (Genesis 37:12-27)​

3. Joseph Sold Into Slavery (Genesis 37:28-36)

Central Truth: ​God is present with us through the Holy Spirit in good and bad times. 

INTRODUCTION

     Abraham and Jacob returned to the Land of Promise after their sojourns, but Joseph and the children of Israel remained in Egypt. The conclusion of the Joseph story in Egypt forms a link between Genesis and Exodus, thereby connecting God’s promises given to the patriarchs and Israel’s divine deliverance from the oppressive bondage of Egypt. 

    The hiddenness of God is a major theme in the Joseph narratives. God is everywhere, but His involvement in the story is not always direct and explicit. The account is framed by Joseph’s dreams (37:5-9) and Joseph’s assertion (50:20) that finally explains the purpose of God in the narrative. 

     God’s ways might seem mysterious, but His ways are not trivial, irrelevant, or sketchy. The narrative of Joseph asserts either God will work His purposes through human efforts or He will be undeterred by them. Unlike the previous ancestral narratives, there is no call for trust and no insistence on faith in the Joseph literature. However, the ways, providence, and presence of God are discernible. 

1. JOSEPH’S PROPHETIC DREAMS

A. Jacob’s Favorite Son (Genesis 37:1-4) 

B. Joseph’s Provocative Dreams (Genesis 37:5-11) 

• Compare and contrast how Joseph’s brothers and his father responded to his dreams.

Cleanse Your Soul 

     If someone is leaving you behind, and you are becoming jealous and embittered, keep praying that he may have success in the very matter where he is awakening your envy; and whether he is helped or not . . . your own soul will be cleansed and enabled.—William Law 

2. PLOT TO HARM JOSEPH

A. Reuben Saves Joseph’s Life (Genesis 37:12-23, 18-22) 

B. Judah Suggests Selling Joseph (Genesis 37:23-27) 

• Respond to Judah’s question (v. 26) as if you were one of his brothers. 

Permission Not Granted 

     I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.—Booker T. Washington 

3. JOSEPH SOLD INTO SLAVERY

A. Twenty Shekels and a Bloody Robe (Genesis 37:28-30) 

B.  Jacob’s Despair (Genesis 37:31-36) 

• Compare the selling of Joseph with the betrayal of Jesus in Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50. 

Sure and Reliable 

     When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, they were bound and cast into the king’s fiery furnace. However, before their imminent fate, they declared: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king” (Dan. 3:17). The king was so furious that he ordered the temperature of the furnace to be raised seven times more than its current temperature to guarantee their immediate demise. After they were thrown into the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar saw four men “unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt” (v. 25 ESV). Moreover, the fourth individual appeared to be a divine figure. Like the three Hebrew boys, we know God’s presence is sure and reliable. 

GOD IS PRESENT 

     The objective of this lesson is to affirm God is present in every situation, but He is never mentioned in chapter 37. As Joseph is thrown into a pit and sold into slavery, there are no divine appearances, no divine words of comfort, and no divine assurances. We are not told Joseph’s thoughts and emotions, but we can presume he experienced loneliness, rejection, and despair. Like David, he may have felt God had forsaken him (Ps. 22:1). There are times God is silent, but He is never absent. 

     Our suffering is not always mitigated, but God promises to be with us in every situation.

Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2023-2024.