Title Page

Lesson Five

Genesis 45:1-3

Genesis 45:1-31 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

Genesis 45:4-6

Genesis 45:4-64 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

Genesis 45:7-9

Genesis 45:7-97 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

Genesis 45:10

Genesis 45:1010 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast.

Focus Verse

Genesis 45:5

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did

send me before you to preserve life.

Focus Thought

Joseph was willing to forgive his brothers, who had wronged him, and bring them into a land of plenty. Our Lord is also willing to forgive us and bring us into a land flowing with His

blessings.

IntroductionIntroduction

There was a sense of destiny about Joseph’s life even in his early years. The same could not be said about his brothers. They lived a shepherd’s monotonous life away from civilization, comfort, and family, toiling with the animals in the cold and the heat, often for months at a time.

IntroductionGod gave Joseph two dreams that would not be fulfilled for more than twenty years. The dreams prophetically illustrated the future role Joseph would play in saving the lives of his whole family.

IntroductionThe first dream occurred in a wheat field where Joseph and his brothers were binding sheaves of grain. Joseph’s sheaf stood up and the brothers’ sheaves bowed down before his sheaf. This dream was a prediction of Joseph’s provision of food for the family in the future time of famine.

IntroductionIn the second dream, Joseph saw himself as the center of the solar system where the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him. The dream was another prophecy of the position into which God was going to place Joseph. This was a heady mixture of high-octane ego fuel for even the most levelheaded adult. At seventeen years of age, a person is not usually equipped with enough emotional maturity to handle such a volatile experience.

IntroductionWhen Joseph in his innocent naiveté shared the dreams with his family, they could not imagine a scenario where any part of the two dreams had a chance of coming to pass. Already jealous of their brother, the dreams continued to fuel the flames of the brothers’ hatred for Joseph. The time would come when their resentment would give birth to a murderous plot.

IntroductionGod placed Joseph into a family where he was surrounded by jealous and vicious brothers because God often uses the crucible of suffering to purify the character of a person destined for greatness. Joseph’s path to God’s purpose led him through the furnace of jealousy and rejection from his family. Not only did he survive the test, but the test itself became instrumental in promoting him to greatness.

I. Down to Egypt ADown to Egypt

A. Despised by His Brothers

Joseph’s family history reads like a coarse novel filled with uncontrolled jealousy, violent anger, villainous treachery, aggressive rivalry, and wicked deception. This maelstrom of family intrigue included an indecisive, emotionally detached, passive father and four mothers with twelve sons and at least one daughter. This was not a pretty place to be a favorite son born of his father’s favorite wife.

I. Down to Egypt AJoseph was Jacob’s favorite son for many reasons. He was the firstborn of Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife. Joseph was not like his older brothers who were lustful, deceitful, vengeful, and unruly. He was easier to handle. Passive fathers, especially in their later years, tend to favor children who are easy to manage. Jacob did nothing to hide his favoritism, and the older brothers knew Joseph was his father’s pet.

I. Down to Egypt AIf there was any question about Jacob’s intentions regarding Joseph’s future, he removed all doubt when he placed a special garment on his son. The King James Version calls it “a coat of many colours” (Genesis 37:3, 23, 32).

I. Down to Egypt AThe New International Version calls it “a richly ornamented robe.” Other translations refer to it as a “special robe with long sleeves.” The implication is that the robe set Joseph apart from his brothers. The coat may also have indicated that Joseph was the designated heir in the family. Is it any wonder that his brothers hated him?

I. Down to Egypt AIn these days of instant gratification, instant worldwide information, and instant connection to almost anyone, we also see incidents of instant revenge to settle disagreements. For this reason, instances of road rage, drive-by shootings, increased family violence, and other various threats are increasing dramatically.

I. Down to Egypt AThe desire for revenge is an age-old human urge that often leads to murderous thoughts and actions. The believer who lives in such a culture must process these violent human emotions through the filters of the Word and Spirit of God to prevent the works of the flesh from taking control. It is necessary to live by the direction of the Spirit of God and not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

I. Down to Egypt BB. Deported from Canaan

When the brothers were tending Jacob’s herd, Joseph gave their father an evil report concerning their activities (Genesis 37:2). When Joseph told them about his dreams, it set the stage for their murderous plot. Jacob seemed to be totally oblivious to his older sons’ barely concealed hatred for Joseph.

I. Down to Egypt BJacob sent Joseph out to check up on the activities of his brothers. When they saw him coming in his colorful coat, they were ready to get rid of him. Reuben’s plea to save Joseph’s life was the only thing that kept the others from killing him on the spot (Genesis 37:20-24). While they were eating a meal, a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by.

I. Down to Egypt BJudah announced that it would be more profitable to sell Joseph as a slave than to kill him. They all agreed that this was a better solution. So his brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt. The brothers took the beautiful coat, dipped it in goat’s blood, and took it to their father to see if he recognized it.

I. Down to Egypt CC. Detained in Egypt

Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. What a shock it must have been to a seventeen-year-old Hebrew boy to be suddenly immersed into the strange society of Egypt. Joseph was taken from life in a tent as a nomadic shepherd to a large city with a different language, religion, and culture.

I. Down to Egypt CHe was placed in the house of an important military man as a household slave. He was no longer the favorite son of a patriarch. Joseph had no personal rights, no ownership, no inheritance, and seemingly no hope for the future. On the surface, life was over for Joseph, and it must have seemed hopeless.

I. Down to Egypt CIn the middle of adverse circumstances, we often are tempted to despair and lose hope because it seems that no one cares. The enemy tells us that not even God cares about us. However, in Acts 7:9 we read that “the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.” Joseph could not afford to give up.

I. Down to Egypt CSomeone has said, “Real courage is the ability to endure five minutes more.” In his book When Life Is the Pits, Robert E. Reccord states, “The true measure of a man is found in what it takes to make him quit.” Certainly, the God factor in life means that nothing is hopeless!

I. Down to Egypt CIn the life of Joseph and in our lives, we must not forget the God factor, and we should never give up. The apostle Paul declared, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (II Corinthians 4:8-9). We have a promise in the midst of adversity. The Lord assures us, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). 

I. Down to Egypt DD. Duty in Potiphar’s House

Joseph, like cream, rose to the top of Potiphar’s house. Potiphar saw that Joseph succeeded in each area of responsibility, and he also saw the blessing of God at work in Joseph’s life. Eventually, Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of his household. He trusted him with everything he owned, and God blessed Potiphar’s house because of Joseph.

I. Down to Egypt DAs God’s children, we bring the blessing of God with us wherever we go. His divine favor resonates from our lives into all of our responsibilities. The rest of the world may see the blessing and favor of the Lord, but it is necessary for us to give God the glory and point them to Him as the source of all blessings. Favor with the people of the world is a gift from God (Psalm 75:6-7; Proverbs 29:26).

II. Right Character in Adversity A

Right Character in Adversity

A. Falsely Accused

At this point in his life, Joseph experienced the blessings and favor of God. Having obtained the total trust of his master, he had complete control over and access to Potiphar’s entire house. On top of all this blessing, Joseph was a handsome young man.

II. Right Character in Adversity APotiphar’s wife daily tried to seduce

Joseph, but he refused her advances every time. He even refused to be around her, yet she relentlessly pursued him. She lusted for what she could not have. She targeted Joseph because he was a respected man of integrity.

II. Right Character in Adversity AThe Scriptures do not give the slightest

hint of Joseph’s expressing any interest in this sensual woman. What we entertain in a moment of weakness becomes an inevitable action we regret for a lifetime, but Joseph continued steadfastly to resist her.

II. Right Character in Adversity A

Potiphar’s wife waited to trap Joseph. When she finally caught him alone in the house, she grabbed his coat to drag him closer and he escaped by leaving his coat in her hands. Sometimes the level of temptation demands immediate action. For Joseph, it was far better to lose his coat than his virtue, to lose his position than his integrity, and to lose his freedom than his favor with God. So Joseph fled the temptress and her temptation.

II. Right Character in Adversity A

In his epistle, James drew for us a powerful picture of the result of one’s entertaining lustful thoughts (James 1:13-15). Lust is like a raging fire that has the power to devour a person. We cannot stop lustful thoughts from coming to us, but we can refuse to entertain and dwell on them. Thoughts work like a magnet that pulls an attracted object toward it.

II. Right Character in Adversity A

When inner desires connect with outer circumstances, there is an enticement to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. It is always dangerous to allow ourselves the titillation of thinking about forbidden fruit. Eventually, we will encounter the fruit and there will be no barrier—physical or mental—to prevent us from indulging. Temptations may cause us to stumble, but we determine whether we fall.

II. Right Character in Adversity A

Joseph refused the advances of this Egyptian woman because he was loyal to his master and he was loyal to his God. Jesus was loyal to His Father and refused the suggestions of the devil when He was tempted in the wilderness. We can follow their example and refuse to accept any suggestion that panders to our lower lustful nature. We know by experience what the outcome will be.

II. Right Character in Adversity B

B. Freedom Lost

Potiphar’s wife was enraged by Joseph’s final refusal. Again, Joseph had rejected her, but this time she had a coat with which to accuse him of a criminal offense. As a scorned woman who only wanted revenge, she accused him of attempted rape. The circumstantial evidence stood against Joseph. She had his coat, and her position in the household was above his. The master heard her complaint and was duty bound to act.

II. Right Character in Adversity BMany Bible scholars think that Potiphar

did not believe his wife or trust her fidelity because he only placed Joseph in prison instead of having him executed. Nonetheless, Joseph still went to prison for a crime he did not commit. (See I Peter 2:20.)

II. Right Character in Adversity BNothing is more painful than to do what

is right and to suffer for it. Joseph had no court of appeal. He was a slave and had no rights. God was his only hope in a case that took him to prison for years. Often there is no easy defense against a false accusation. The greatest defense attorney is God, and the greatest defense is the honest life of His child. Indeed, God has the last appeal and in the end, we win.

II. Right Character in Adversity BIn a word, Joseph was a victim. He was

victimized by his brothers. He was victimized by his master’s wife. He was pulled from the pit (a dry cistern) only to be placed into another pit (a dungeon).

II. Right Character in Adversity BHumanly speaking, our first reaction to

unfair treatment is the desire for revenge. We want to even the score and make our persecutor suffer. In looking carefully at the life of Joseph, however, one does not detect even a trace of desire for revenge. It could be said of him, like Moses, “He endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). God’s favor was again with Joseph in the prison.

II. Right Character in Adversity C

C. Favor Gained in Prison

Our attitude toward our circumstances is as critical as the situation itself. If we have a bad case of “destination disease,” or the idea that things will be better when we get to another place, we squander the opportunities at hand for the sake of what we wish would happen.

II. Right Character in Adversity CJoseph is an example of someone who

succeeded in spite of his circumstances. He had both the blessing of God on his life and the right attitude about his life. This exceptional spirit is impossible to overlook. Both superiors and peers will notice it. Consequently, Joseph was promoted to prominence in the prison.

II. Right Character in Adversity CModeling Joseph’s responses can be a

great training ground regardless of our situation. When we choose to trust God to change our lives and wait for His perfect timing, we free His hand to work in our behalf.  

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A

From Prison toPrime Minister

A. Called by Pharaoh

Joseph had been in prison for many years when two men from Pharaoh’s court were thrown into the same cell. One was the Pharaoh’s baker, and the other was his butler. These were important servants of Pharaoh.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister AThe cupbearer was the person who tasted

all of his food and drink before giving it to his lord. If he lived, it was safe to eat; and if not, Pharaoh just got a new butler. The baker was his personal chef. We are not told why the two were sent to prison.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister AOn the same night, both of them had

troubling dreams. Joseph asked them the next morning why they had such a troubled look on their faces. They explained that they had each dreamed a dream and needed to know the meaning. Joseph knew how dangerous it was to share dreams, but he also knew that interpretations come from the Lord.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister AThis is the beauty of Joseph’s spirit. His

dreams had been brutally crushed under the heel of unkind circumstances and seemed completely lost. Yet he was willing to share in the possibilities of someone else’s dreams.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister AWhen Joseph interpreted the butler’s

dream favorably, the baker was encouraged by that and asked Joseph to consider his dream. The interpretation of the dreams indicated that in three days the butler would be released and the baker would be executed.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister AJoseph’s spirit was not fettered by the

chains of bitterness toward life and anger toward God. He was not wrestling with God for a better deal. God’s timing will always be such that He will get the greatest glory. When we find ourselves in a prison-like circumstance, we would do well to heed Isaiah’s warning:

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A“Woe to him who strives with his Maker!

Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?” (Isaiah 45:9, NKJV).

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A

Joseph’s statement to the butler offers a brief insight into his thoughts: “But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon” (Genesis 40:14-15).

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A

Two long years would go by before the butler would remember Joseph, and only then because Pharaoh had a dream that needed an interpretation. How do we behave when we are on hold long after we feel as if the situation should be over? We all know someone whose life is in the waiting room. The world is full of people who are in between one thing or another. When life is in a holding pattern, how we wait is more important than the time we spend waiting.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A

When Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret, the butler finally remembered Joseph, and Pharaoh was desperate enough to send for him. Joseph had not been in public for years. Furthermore, he had never been in the presence of royalty or the palace. This was a place where he could have lost his bearings and forgotten the all-important fact that God was in control of his life.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A

Joseph was a man of the highest integrity. He gave God the glory as the source of Pharaoh’s dreams and their interpretation. Joseph not only gave Pharaoh the interpretation of his dreams, but he also gave Pharaoh excellent advice to implement the message of the dreams. Pharaoh responded by making him the prime minister of Egypt.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister A

How many times have we maneuvered and plotted our way through the maze of politics and human channels, only to regret our accomplishment as it vaporizes right before our eyes? Joseph did not drop hints or make suggestions. He simply waited and let God place him in the right position. To arrive at the right place ahead of schedule is to miss the important lessons to be learned in the pressure of the prison and perhaps to be disqualified by incompetence. Blessed are those who wait on God’s timing.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister B

B. Chief Financial Officer of Egypt

Pharaoh recognized the competence he saw in Joseph and wanted Joseph’s expertise in his personal affairs. Joseph had years of experience in personnel management. He had personal responsibility for finances and accountability to authority as Potiphar’s administrator. Certainly, he was a good fit for the job.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister B

Pharaoh gave Joseph his personal signet ring he used to sign invoices for payment, laws into force, and decrees into action. He told him to enact all the ideas he had described to prepare for the famine that was coming. No one in Egypt would be allowed to move a hand or foot without Joseph’s expressed direction. Joseph began immediately to tax the production of the land 20 percent (one-fifth) to be placed into storage. He also built granaries to house the production.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister BPharaoh specifically told Joseph, “Only

in the throne will I be greater than thou” (Genesis 41:40). All the staff in his house, all the Egyptian people, all the foreign-born population, and all the slaves were completely subject to Joseph’s command. Pharaoh’s decree commanded them to bow before Joseph.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister BWe are left to wonder if Potiphar was still

around and what his reaction might have been to the rise of Joseph to power. It is remarkable that with all of this power and privilege suddenly placed at his disposal, there is no record of revenge or retribution carried out at his direction.

III. From Prison to Prime Minister BCertainly, his character had been

thoroughly tested—pressed to the bottom and stretched to the maximum. The final test would come nine years after his rise to power when he would again meet his brothers (Genesis 45:11).

IV. Character Tested ACharacter Tested

A. His Brothers Came to Buy

When the years of plenty were past and the famine began, Egypt was the only place in the world that was prepared for the next seven years. The famine forced everyone to buy food in Egypt. Not only was it a time of great trade that brought the world to Egypt, but it was also a place of great wealth. Joseph was the man in charge of every phase of Egyptian economy and government.

IV. Character Tested AJacob felt the effects of the famine in Canaan and sent his sons without Benjamin to buy grain in Egypt. Joseph dressed, spoke, and lived the life of Egyptian royalty. We can only imagine the thoughts he must have had on the day when he first saw the group of Hebrew shepherds buying grain in the market and recognized them as his brothers.

IV. Character Tested BB. His Brothers Forgiven

The soul of Joseph must have been a cacophony of emotions—both painful and pleasant—as his brothers presented themselves before him. He wanted to know about his father. He desperately wanted word about his brother Benjamin. He needed to know how they felt toward him and Benjamin after all these years. Surely he thought about his dreams that were coming to pass right before his eyes.

IV. Character Tested BThe elaborate testing and retesting of his brothers was not the feverish work of a mind bent on revenge. Rather, it was a man who would not release himself without the assurance of a change in the heart of his brothers.

IV. Character Tested BThe last test involved the brothers’ attitude toward Benjamin. Joseph had their silver replaced in the mouth of their sacks as he had on the first trip. Only this time, Benjamin’s sack also had Joseph’s personal silver cup in it. The steward caught up with them and accused them of theft. He knew that the cup was in Benjamin’s sack. All the conditions were present for another betrayal when Benjamin was accused.

IV. Character Tested BWhen the steward told them Benjamin would be arrested and returned to Egypt, Judah made a passionate appeal for his release that clearly revealed how repentant the brothers were over their selling Joseph into slavery. They all knew how much Benjamin meant to their father and his loss would be the death of Jacob.

IV. Character Tested BWhen he could restrain himself no longer, Joseph caused everyone to leave the room except his brothers as he revealed himself to them. His brothers had struggled with the guilt of their actions for more than twenty years.

IV. Character Tested BNow they faced the man they had so shamefully wronged. They were all dumbfounded and afraid. The real test of forgiveness comes when we have the power and the opportunity for revenge, but instead we release those who have hurt us.

IV. Character Tested BJoseph assured his brothers that he had forgiven them long ago. He saw the hand of God working in their favor. (See Genesis 45:5-8.) It is evident from the text that after all these years, they had not told Jacob, their father, what they had done to Joseph. They all assumed him to be dead, yet there he was standing before them.

IV. Character Tested CC. His Family Welcomed

into the Land of Plenty

Joseph told his brethren to hurry home and bring back the whole family because they were facing five more years of famine and Egypt was the only place that had food. He gave his brothers elaborate provisions for their journey, including wagons to transport their wives and little ones, clothing, food, and for Jacob, the best things of Egypt. As they left, Joseph told his brothers not to quarrel along the way. This was not a time for accusations; it was a time for a joyful reunion.

IV. Character Tested CAt first, Jacob was stunned with unbelief at his sons’ report that Joseph was alive. However, after hearing their story and seeing all that Joseph had sent him, Jacob was convinced and immediately decided to make the move and see his son.

IV. Character Tested CThe invitation to Jacob, the old patriarch near the end of his life, and the ten brothers burdened with guilt, was a turning point in their lives and a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that they would go into a foreign country and multiply without losing their identity (Genesis 15:13-16).

ReflectionsJoseph took great care to explain when he revealed himself to his brothers that God had used their evil work against him to save the lives of the whole family. When Jacob died, the guilt of the brothers resurfaced and they came to Joseph and begged for their lives and the lives of their families.

Transparency 3“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

ReflectionsJoseph reassured all of them that they were completely forgiven. (See Genesis 50:20.) He lived by the principle found in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Joseph’s life demonstrated that God can take evil circumstances and turn them for our good and His glory.

ReflectionsSomeone has wisely observed, “God does not pay at the end of everyday, but at the end, He pays.” This is good news for the believer and a serious threat to any who ignore the warnings of Scripture (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

ReflectionsGod’s carefully kept records chronicle the sinister works of the wicked and the faithfulness of His saints. He never overlooks even the smallest detail. His eye is on the sparrow and the righteous to guard and to guide, to provide and to preserve. He loves to show Himself strong on behalf of His own.

ReflectionsThe life of Joseph leads through the forges of trial and persecution but emerges on the other side a purified and shining example of what God can do with a submitted person.