Genesis 40 & 41 (How Shall We Wait? What A Turnaround!)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+40, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+41

Key words / phrases:- The Great Witness, Prophesies, What a Turnaround, How shall we wait, Prosperity / Health-Wealth Gospel, Judgement & Savior

Potential Bible Study Discussion Questions:-

• Even though Joe was righteous and very dear & near to God, God let him suffer greatly as a slave and prisoner (combined 13 years!!). Why? What was accomplished from this?

God was greatly glorified in many ways. For instance, Joseph was in places and situations where he had to depend on God alone and God's glory & redemptive power was made very well known to witnesses of Joseph's life because of that. So one can RATHER see those hard / nasty times & places (slavery, prison) as times & places of great blessings as one is dependent on God alone and very well positioned to experience God's presence, power, glory like never before.

Remember 2-Corinthians 12:9-10:- "But He (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. "

We see 2-Corinthians 12:9-10 greatly being backed-up by Joseph's time as a slave and a prisoner!

Also see some discussion on this at https://sites.google.com/site/biblechaptercommentaries/book-of-genesis/genesis-39-prospering-in-very-difficult-tempting-times

• In the story of Joseph so far you see chaos & tyranny (13 years of slavery & prison for Joe). Yet God was always in full control and unfolding His plans in His perfect timing. In your life too, do you see God orchestrating events in His perfect timing? Is yes then share some (stories). If not then why not?

• What amazes you the most about the way Joe was responding in his long period of great suffering (13 years)?

Recall (https://sites.google.com/site/biblechaptercommentaries/book-of-genesis/genesis-39-prospering-in-very-difficult-tempting-times) the great sufferings & persecutions of Joseph. Despite, Joseph holds on to his faith strongly and does not sin.

One of the things that amazes me the most is that despite his own very bad times, Joseph is actually encouraging and helping other people going through bad times (Genesis 40:6-8+: " ... “Why are your faces downcast today? ... Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me. ... "). Wow, how do you do that?

• Joseph was imprisoned in a dungeon for 2+ years (Genesis 40:15, Genesis 41:1,14). Maybe you feel trapped in a pit of life in some sense. What encouragements do you draw from Joseph's imprisonment?

Apart from many encouragements, as also noted above, these chapters also touch on the very important life topic of "Waiting". Joseph has been waiting for freedom for 13 years! Even though he was righteous and very close & dear to God, God made him wait for freedom for so long. Also, even though Joe was a prophet himself, prophesying freedom for his co-prisoners, he did not know when he would have freedom. Joseph "waited" but he also kept seeking "His Kingdom First" during the "wait" time (i.e., he tried to help the two prisoners - Genesis 40:6-8+, did not commit sexual immorality with Potiphar's wife, etc).

We are all waiting for incidents to happen in our lives. How we "wait", as days our days go by on earth, matters a great lot to God. There is a great deal to learn from the story of Joseph on the subject of "waiting". Read http://devos20xx.blogspot.com/2016/12/so-how-shall-we-wait.html for more on "On shall we wait, as Christians".

• Joseph is finally redeemed in great ways, after 13 long years of suffering as a slave and then prisoner. Does this story encourage you in any ways in your sufferings / adversities / persecutions?

As we see here, God can take any situation and turn it around for His glory. I hope for all your sufferings / adversities / persecutions, you will pray that God will use them for His glory in His Kingdom building. Pray that they will become source of great God glorifying testimonies.

• Reflect on the significance / importance of prophesies in the Bible. Are you aware of any evidence that God's prophesies have come true? If yes, then how much of a big deal it is?

Quoting from http://devos20xx.blogspot.com/2016/12/can-one-prove-god-exists.html :-

"Many scholars, actually claim that one can make a very strong case for GOD. They often cite many “prophecies” which they claim to have been fulfilled over the course of human history to make a case for God. For instance, non-trivial prophesies about Jesus’s life made hundreds of years before Jesus came (Book of Isaiah, Book of Daniel found in "dead sea scrolls"). Following two passages from Scriptures are also used to defend why prophecies about future events can be used to make a strong case for the existence of God:-

- Isaiah 44:7-9: “Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.” (That is, God of the Bible is suggesting us a great way, via prophesies, to find out if He is real).

- Isaiah 42:9: ”See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." (“God” is actually very much expected to prophesy about future events. So, if non-trivial prophecies attributed to “God” are turning out to be true during the course of human history, then one can make a strong case for “God”)

- Also, note Genesis 18:17: "The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do," (Again, it seems God loves to prophesy, which can be used to test Him)

Jesus, also referred to the prophesies in the Old Testament, to justify that He was God (also by fulfilling the relevant ones through Himself) - John 5:30-47."

God also uses prophesies to warn people. For example, if people are into sin (Isaiah 58) or if there is any upcoming great suffering / judgement and how people can escape it - as is a case here in the story of Joseph.

• In Genesis 41, Joseph becomes rich and famous. Should all Christians expect the same? Why or why not?

Why do many people believe in "prosperity" / "health-wealth" Gospel?

Anyways, as a Christian you have the permanent dwelling of the God - The Holy Spirit in you. Even Joseph & Soloman in all their riches & social status would envy you for that!

Also, anyways, the physical wealth and glory of Joseph & Soloman were nothing compared to the future glory & inheritance, as co-heirs with Christ in God's Kingdom, that you as Christian will receive when Jesus returns (Romans 8:18).

• In Genesis 41, we see God warns about bringing great suffering on earth in the form of severe famine. In other places in Bible we see God warns about bringing judgement, which includes great suffering, on people because of their sins. What more judgement, involving great suffering, is coming from God and how are we supposed to be responding to that?

During the 2nd coming of Jesus, there will be a seven year period of tribulation on un-Godly (https://www.gotquestions.org/Great-Tribulation.html ) and then the final judgement (https://www.gotquestions.org/final-judgment.html) when the unrepentant will be send to hell.

In response to these upcoming judgments, unsaved should repent and be saved (John 3:16) and the saved ones are called to partake in the Great Commission - Matthew 28:16-20: " ... go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you .. " , as God desires that none go to hell (2 Peter 3:9).

Note that just in the story of Joseph, God has very clearly alerted people of the upcoming judgements and way out, through His Word.

MISC

• Joseph does not make the mistake of taking God's credit (Genesis 40:8, Genesis 41:16).
• Be always encouraged:- God is always in full control - He can change any situation any time. Geoff Thomas writes "For Joseph, everything from that moment had changed. Was there ever a man who in one day was transformed as radically as Joseph was that day? Breakfasting of slops in a prison in Egypt, enjoying supper from an army of slaves satisfying his every whim. ‘Behold,’ writes Bishop Hall, ‘one hour has changed his fetters into a chain of gold, his rags into pure linen, his stocks into a chariot, his jail into a palace, Potiphar’s captive into Potiphar’s Lord, the noise of his chains into “Bow the knee!”’ All in ‘one hour’ — suddenly! Suddenly at the Red Sea, the wa­ters opened up and Israel went over. Suddenly at Carmel the fire fell from heaven on the sacrifice, and Israel was again converted. Sud­denly the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, the power of the Most High overshadowed her, and she was with child. Suddenly Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus was confronted by the risen Lord Jesus. Suddenly on the day of Pentecost there was a sound of a rushing mighty wind and the Spirit of God filled all of them. "
  • But also one must wait for God's plan to unfold in God's timings #waiting.
  • Joseph is placed in a place of great responsibility by Pharaoh. Do you think God was preparing Joseph spiritually for this great responsibility during the prior 13 hard years of slavery & latter imprisonment?
  • In the Bible study, Jonathan found it bizarre that Joseph asked the co-prisoners why there face were downcast!