Genesis Lesson #60

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GENESIS 43-44
LESSON #60
THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF GRACE

• MEMORY VERSE: HEB 7:22
• READ GEN 43:1-15
• IN THE FAMINE, WHEN THE FOOD BEGAN TO RUN OUT AGAIN, JACOB (ISRAEL) DECIDES TO SEND THE BROTHERS BACK TO EGYPT TO BUY MORE FOOD.
• NOTICE VERSE 6 WHERE JACOB TELLS HIS SONS THEY SHOULD HAVE LIED TO EGYPT’S PRIME MINISTER ABOUT HAVING A YOUNGER BROTHER AT HOME. SHADES OF JACOB’S OLD NATURE ARE STILL SEEN FROM TIME TO TIME.
• JACOB (ISRAEL) MUST SEND BENJAMIN WITH THE OTHER BROTHERS IN ORDER TO GET FOOD. (8)
• WHILE BENJAMIN IS CALLED A LAD SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS THE YOUNGEST BROTHER, HIS ACTUAL AGE AT THIS TIME IS ABOUT 33 YEARS OLD WITH 10 SONS OF HIS OWN.
• JUDAH’S VOW
• JUDAH HAS BECOME THE SPOKESMAN FOR ALL THE BROTHERS.
• BECAUSE OF JACOB’S HESITATION TO SEND BENJAMIN, JUDAH SAYS HE WILL BE A SURETY FOR BENJAMIN.
• WHAT IS A SURETY ?
• SURETY = A PLEDGE OF RESPONSIBILITY AGAINST LOSS.
• THE GIFTS AND THE MONEY
• THE BROTHERS TOOK GIFTS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER.
• THE BROTHERS TOOK A DOUBLE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR THE GRAIN THEY HAD BROUGHT BACK FROM EGYPT PREVIOUSLY.
• JACOB’S (ISRAEL) RELATIONSHIP TO HIS OTHER SON, SIMEON:
• SIMEON REMAINED IN EGYPT AS A HOSTAGE. (42:24)
• NOTICE THAT IT IS NOT A CONCERN OVER SIMEON THAT DRIVES JACOB BACK TO EGYPT FOR GRAIN. IT’S HUNGER.
• NOTICE THAT JACOB DOES NOT EVEN MENTION SIMEON BY NAME IN VERSE 14.
• REMEMBER THE SIN OF MASSACRE THAT SIMEON HAD COMMITTED BACK IN GEN 34 TO AVENGE DINAH. THE SINS OF HIS SONS PROBABLY HAD CAUSED RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS WITHIN THE FAMILY.
• READ GEN 43:16-34 THE RETURN TO EGYPT
• THE PRELIMINARIES:
• JOSEPH PREPARES A SPECIAL DINNER FOR HIS BROTHERS.
• THE BROTHERS ARE WORRIED BECAUSE OF THE RETURN ED MONEY.
• REMEMBER THAT WE DISCUSSED IN THE LAST CHAPTER HOW SALVATION CANNOT BE PURCHASED. IT IS A FREE GIFT.
• THE STEWARD REPRESENTS THE ACTIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES TODAY.
• ASSURANCE OF PEACE BY THE STEWARD REMINDS US OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO GIVES US PEACE. (23) (JOH 14:26-27 ROM 15:13)
• THE DINNER:
• THE HEART OF JOSEPH (30)
• NUMEROUS TIMES WE SEE JOSEPH WEEP PRIVATELY OVER HIS BROTHERS.
• THE EGYPTIAN CASTE SYSTEM (32)
• EGYPT HAD A SOCIAL CASTE SYSTEM WHICH KEPT CLASSES OF PEOPLE SEPARATE. JOSEPH OBSERVES THESE SOCIAL CUSTOMS.
• THE BIRTH ORDER (33)
• NOTICE THAT THE BROTHERS ARE ARRANGED AROUND THE TABLE ACCORDING TO THEIR BIRTH ORDER. IN EGYPT, ONLY JOSEPH WOULD KNOW THE BIRTH ORDER.
• THE BROTHERS NOTICED THIS ARRANGEMENT, AND IT WORRIED THEM.
• JOSEPH MAKES SURE BENJAMIN GETS 5 TIMES MORE FOOD THAN THE OTHER BROTHERS.
• THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A TEST OF THE BROTHERS TO SEE IF THEY WILL GET JEALOUS OF BENJAMIN AS THEY HAD OF JOSEPH.
• READ GEN 44:1-13 THE SURPRISE DEPARTURE
• JOSEPH’S INSTRUCTIONS:
• THE BROTHER’S SACKS WERE FILLED WITH FOOD.
• THE BROTHER’S MONEY WAS AGAIN RETURN ED TO THEM.
• JOSEPH’S SILVER CUP WAS PLANTED IN BENJAMIN’S SACK.
• THE SILVER CUP WAS A DIVINING CUP IN WHICH PRECIOUS STONES AND NUGGETS OF GOLD AND SILVER WERE PLACED IN WATER AND SWIRLED. THE PATTERNS WERE READ LIKE TEA LEAVES TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE. THIS CUP CAME WITH THE POSITION OF PRIME MINISTER. I WOULD PREFER TO THINK JOSEPH NEVER USED IT.
• THE STEWARD (AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT) IS SENT TO ACCUSE THE BROTHERS OF THEFT.
• READ JOH 16:7-8
• IN THE SAME WAY, THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS US OF SIN.
• THE CONFRONTATION (6-10)
• THE BROTHER’S, CONVINCED OF THEIR INNOCENCE, AGREE TO THE DEATH PENALTY FOR THE ONE WHO POSSESSES THE CUP, AND SLAVERY FOR THE REST OF THEM.
• IN BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE LORD, HOW DO YOU THINK THIS ILLUSTRATES THE HOLY SPIRIT’S DEALING WITH PEOPLE TODAY?
• (DISCUSSION)
• GUILT IS DETERMINED.
• WHAT DO YOU THINK JOSEPH HAS IN MIND WITH THIS PLAN OF ENTRAPMENT?
• (DISCUSSION)
• READ GEN 44:14-34
• JUDAH, THE ADVOCATE AND THE SURETY.
• THERE IS A CONFESSION OF GUILT BEFORE GOD. (16)
• JUDAH IS SURE THIS HAS COME UPON THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN AGAINST JOSEPH YEARS AGO.
• JUDAH CONFIRMS THAT THEY DESERVE SLAVERY.
• JOSEPH EXTENDS GRACE AND MERCY BY KEEPING BENJAMIN AND RELEASES THE OTHERS TO Return HOME TO GET HIS FATHER. (17)
• JUDAH ACTS ON BENJAMIN’S BEHALF
• JUDAH OFFERS TO TAKE BENJAMIN’S PLACE BECAUSE HE IS AFRAID LOSING BENJAMIN WOULD KILL HIS FATHER.
• JUDAH HAS PASSED THE TEST FOR JEALOUSY OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, BENJAMIN.

JOSEPH, A PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS	JESUS AND MANKIND
THE BROTHERS CONTINUE TO BE LEGALISTIC IN THEIR DESIRE TO PAY DOUBLE FOR THE GRAIN. GEN 43:11,15	NON-BELIEVERS DOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS TO WORK THEIR WAY TO GOD. ROM 8:1-3
JOSEPH’S STEWARD EXTENDS MERCY AND FREES THEM FROM GUILT. GEN 43:23	THE HOLY SPIRIT SENT BY JESUS EXTENDS PEACE TO US WHEN WE ARE FREED FROM GUILT THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS. GEN 43:23
JOSEPH PREPARES A GREAT FEAST FOR HIS BROTHERS. GEN 43:16	JESUS CHRIST WILL PREPARE A GREAT FEAST FOR HIS BELIEVERS CALLED THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB. REV 19:9
JOSEPH’S BROTHERS ARE SEATED ACCORDING TO BIRTH ORDER. GEN 43:33	BELIEVERS IN JESUS ARE POSITIONED IN THE KINGDOM ACCORDING TO A SERVANT’S ATTITUDE. MAR 10;39-44 JOH 14:2
JOSEPH’S PLAN, EXECUTED BY THE STEWARD, IS DESIGNED TO REVEAL THE TRUE SIN IN HIS BROTHER’S LIVES. GEN 44:1,2	JESUS, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, REVEALS THE SIN IN OUR LIVES. JOH 16:8 HOS 5:15
JOSEPH’S BROTHERS ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SIN AND OPEN THE DOOR TO BEING FORGIVEN. GEN 44:16	WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SIN AND OPEN THE DOOR TO BEING FORGIVEN BY GOD. REV 3:19-21

• SUMMARY AND EMPHASIS:
• WE CANNOT PURCHASE OUR SALVATION BY BEING A GOOD PERSON OR BY DOING GOOD WORKS. IT IS A FREE GIFT BY GOD THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS ON THE CROSS. WE, THEREFORE, REMAIN IN OUR SIN UNTIL WE REPENT AND ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. BY DOING THIS WE ACCEPT THE FREE AND PERSONAL GIFT OF SALVATION THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON. THE ACTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS US TO CHRIST, REVEALS OUR SIN, AND EXTENDS TO US GOD’S PEACE AND GRACE.

• HOMEWORK
  GENESIS 45
  THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF GEN 43-44
• IS THERE SOME SIN IN YOUR LIFE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTING?
• IF SO, IN PRAYER ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU. ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND ASK HIM TO STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK.
• PREPARATION FOR GEN 45
• READ GEN 45:1-28
• WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT FORGIVENESS FROM THIS CHAPTER?
• BASED ON THESE CHAPTERS, LIST AS MANY WAYS AS YOU CAN IN WHICH JOSEPH IS A PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST.
• MEMORY VERSE: LUK 6:37