JOSEPH and

HIS BROTHERS

• Envy is a capital sin; a feeling of anger and resentment toward another person; jealousy

• Divine Providence – even when we face obstacles, God watches over us. God can bring good out of a bad situation.

• Solidarity – unity; mutual support; an attitude of cooperation

• Israel (Jacob) had 12 sons

• Joseph was his favored son

• Israel had a special cloak made for Joseph (the “Coat of Many Colors”)

• This made Israel’s other sons envious

• Joseph had a gift for interpreting dreams

• In one dream, he saw his brothers’ sheaves of wheat bowing down to his; in another, eleven stars, the sun and the moon all bowed down to Joseph

• These dreams angered Joseph’s brothers. They planned to kill him and tell their father that he had been attacked by wild animals

• The oldest, Reuben, did not want to kill his brother. He convinced the others to steal Joseph’s coat and throw Joseph into a dry well

• A group of traveling tradesmen went by. The brothers sold Joseph to them. They dipped his coat in goat’s blood and told their father that Joseph had been killed.

• Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave for the Pharaoh’s official named Potiphar

• Over time, Potiphar came to trust Joseph

• Joseph’s wife fell in love with Joseph, but Joseph was a righteous man and would not break God’s law

• Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of attacking her; Potiphar had Joseph put into jail

• While in jail, Joseph interpreted the dreams of fellow prisoners. It was clear that Joseph had a talent for telling the meanings of dreams.

• After two years, Pharaoh himself was having dreams that he wanted Joseph to interpret.

Read Pharaoh’s dream: Genesis 41:1-40

• Joseph told Pharaoh that his dreams meant that there would be 7 years of good crops in Egypt, followed by 7 years of famine

• Knowing this, Pharaoh could plan for the famine and keep his people from starvation

• Pharaoh was so pleased with Joseph that he made him governor of Egypt.

• The famine that Joseph predicted had reached Israel’s home in Canaan

• Israel sent ten of his sons to Egypt for food

• Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him

• After testing his brothers, Joseph revealed his identity

• Joseph sent for Israel, and all the family went to Egypt

• Joseph’s brothers feared that he would seek revenge, but Joseph realized that everything had happened according to God’s plan

• Israel blessed all his sons before his death

• From Judah’s family would come the Messiah

• The story of Joseph and his family shows how the Israelites left Canaan and came to live in Egypt.

• For several hundred years, the rulers of Egypt remembered how Joseph had saved them from famine.