Genesis
Israel in Egypt
Lesson #13 for June 25, 2022
Scriptures:Genesis 46:1-50:21;Romans 10:12-13; Acts 3:25-26; Philippians 2:10-11.
Genesis 46:3: “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go to Egypt; I will make your descendants a great nation there.”CAmerican Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed.,Genesis 46:3). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].†‡
Genesis 46:7: 7 His [Jacob’s] sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters [moved to Egypt].?Good News Bible.*†‡ [Do we know of more than one daughter of Jacob?]‡
Romans 10:12-13: 12This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. 13As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.”?Good News Bible.*†
Galatians 3:28-29: 28So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised.?Good News Bible.*† [Remember that Paul had been a Pharisee of the Pharisees. The Pharisees had a prayer that said: “Thank You Lord, that I was not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman!”]‡
[From the writings of Ellen White=EGW:] The Lord in His providence had brought this trial upon Abraham to teach him lessons of submission, patience, and faithClessons that were to be placed on record for the benefit of all who should afterward be called to endure affliction. God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him....
Abraham had been greatly favored by the king; even now Pharaoh would permit no harm to be done him or his company, but ordered a guard to conduct them in safety out of his dominions. At this time laws were made prohibiting the Egyptians from intercourse [interaction] with foreign shepherds in any such familiarity as eating or drinking with them. Pharaoh’s dismissal of Abraham was kind and generous; but he bade him leave Egypt, for he dared not permit him to remain. He had ignorantly been about to do him a serious injury, but God had interposed, and saved the monarch from committing so great a sin. Pharaoh saw in this stranger a man whom the God of heaven honored, and he feared to have in his kingdom one who was so evidently under divine favor. Should Abraham remain in Egypt, his increasing wealth and honor would be likely to excite the envy or covetousness of the Egyptians, and some injury might be done him, for which the monarch would be held responsible, and which might again bring judgments upon the royal house.?Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 129.2-131.0.†‡ [This is an incredibly important insight!]‡
[EGW:] Joseph took five of his brothers to present to Pharaoh and receive from him the grant of land for their future home. Gratitude to his prime minister would have led the monarch to honor them with appointments to offices of state; but Joseph, true to the worship of Jehovah, sought to save his brothers from the temptations to which they would be exposed at a heathen court; therefore he counseled them, when questioned by the king, to tell him frankly their occupation. The sons of Jacob followed this counsel, being careful also to state that they had come to sojourn in the land, not to become permanent dwellers there, thus reserving the right to depart if they chose. The king assigned them a home, as offered, in “the best of the land,” the country of Goshen.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 233.2.†‡ [Topsoil from most of East Africa had been washed down to Goshen, forming the delta of the Nile River!]‡
Genesis 49:8-12: 8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
You hold your enemies by the neck.
Your brothers will bow down before you.
9 Judah is like a lion,
Killing his victim and returning to his den,
Stretching out and lying down.
No one dares disturb him.
10 Judah will hold the royal sceptre,
And his descendants will always rule.
Nations will bring him tribute
And bow in obedience before him.
11 He ties his young donkey to a grapevine,
To the very best of the vines.
He washes his clothes in blood-red wine.
12 His eyes are bloodshot from drinking wine,
His teeth white from drinking milk.”?Good News Bible.*
Isaiah 9:6-7: 6 A child is born to us!
A son is given to us!
And he will be our ruler.
He will be called, “Wonderful Counsellor”, [sic]
“Mighty God”, [sic] “Eternal Father”, [sic]
“Prince of Peace”. [sic]
7 His royal power will continue to grow;
his kingdom will always be at peace.
He will rule as King David’s successor,
basing his power on right and justice,
from now until the end of time.
The LORD Almighty is determined to do all this.?Good News Bible.*‡
Philippians 2:10-11: 10 And so, in honour of the name of Jesus
all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below
will fall on their knees,
11and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.?Good News Bible.* [Every single individual who has ever lived, including Satan, will one day bow before Christ.]‡
The lion, king of the forest, is a fitting symbol of this tribe, from which came David, and the Son of David, Shiloh, the true “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” to whom all powers shall finally bow and all nations render homage.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 236.3.†
Zechariah 9:9-10: 9Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!
Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you!
He comes triumphant and victorious,
but humble and riding on a donkey—
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 The LORD says,
“I will remove the war chariots from Israel
and take the horses from Jerusalem;
the bows used in battle will be destroyed.
Your king will make peace among the nations;
he will rule from sea to sea,
from the River Euphrates to the ends of the earth.”?Good News Bible.*
Mark 11:1-11: 1… Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead 2with these instructions: “Go to the village there ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a colt tied up that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3And if someone asks you why you are doing that, tell him that the Master needs it and will send it back at once.”
4 So they went and found a colt out in the street, tied to the door of a house. As they were untying it, 5some of the bystanders asked them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”
6 They answered just as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go. 7They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the animal, and Jesus got on. 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches in the fields and spread them on the road. 9The people who were in front and those who followed behind began to shout, “Praise God! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! 10God bless the coming kingdom of King David, our father! Praise God!”
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem, went into the Temple, and looked round at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went out to Bethany with the twelve disciples.?Good News Bible.*
Joseph illustrates Christ. Jesus came to his own, but his own received him not. He was rejected and despised, because his acts were righteous, and his consistent, self-denying life was a continual rebuke upon those who professed piety, but whose lives were corrupt. Joseph=s integrity and virtue were fiercely assailed; and she [Potiphar’s wife] who would lead him astray could not prevail, therefore her hatred was strong against the virtue and integrity which she could not corrupt, and she testified falsely against him. The innocent [Joseph] suffered because of his righteousness. He was cast into prison because of his virtue.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 157.2.‡
Joseph was sold to his enemies, by his own brethren, for a small sum of money. The Son of God was sold to his bitterest enemies by one of his own disciples.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 157.2.
Jesus was meek and holy. His was a life of unexampled self?denial, goodness, and holiness. He was not guilty of any wrong; yet false witnesses were hired to testify against him. He was hated because he had been a faithful reprover of sin and corruption.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 157.2.
Joseph=s brethren stripped him of his coat of many colors. The executioners of Jesus cast lots for his seamless coat.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 157.2.
[EGW:] Joseph=s brethren purposed to kill him, but were finally content to sell him as a slave, to prevent his becoming greater than themselves. They thought they had placed him where they would be no more troubled with his dreams, and where there would not be a possibility of their fulfillment. But the very course which they pursued, God overruled to bring about that which they designed never should take placeBthat he should have dominion over them.
The chief priests and elders were jealous of Christ, that he would draw the attention of the people away from themselves, to him. They knew that he was doing greater works than they ever had done, or ever could perform; and they knew that if he was suffered to continue his teachings, he would become higher in authority than they, and might become king of the Jews. They agreed together to prevent this by privately taking him, and hiring witnesses to testify falsely against him, that they might condemn him, and put him to death. They would not accept him as their king, but cried out, Crucify him! crucify him! The Jews thought that by taking the life of Christ, they could prevent his becoming king. But by murdering the Son of God, they were bringing about the very thing they sought to prevent.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 158.1-2.†‡
Joseph, by being sold by his brethren into Egypt, became a saviour to his father=s family. Yet this fact did not lessen the guilt of his brethren. The crucifixion of Christ by his enemies, made him the Redeemer of mankind, the Saviour of the fallen race, and ruler over the whole world. The crime of his enemies was just as heinous as though God=s providential hand had not controlled events for his own glory and the good of man.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 158.2.
[EGW:] Joseph walked with God. He would not be persuaded to deviate from the path of righteousness, and transgress God=s law, by any inducements or threats. And when he was imprisoned, and suffered because of his innocence, he meekly bore it without murmuring. His self?control, and patience in adversity, and his unwavering fidelity, are left on record for the benefit of all who should afterward live on the earth. When Joseph=s brethren acknowledged their sin before him, he freely forgave them, and showed by his acts of benevolence and love that he harbored no resentful feelings for their former cruel conduct toward him. The life of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, was a pattern of benevolence, goodness, and holiness. Yet he was despised and insulted, mocked and derided, for no other reason than because of his righteous life, which was a constant rebuke to sin. His enemies would not be satisfied until he was given into their hands, that they might put him to a shameful death. He died for the guilty race; and, while suffering the most cruel torture, meekly forgave his murderers. He rose from the dead, ascended up to his father, and received all power and authority, and returned to the earth again to impart it to his disciples. He gave gifts unto men. And all who have ever come to him repentant, confessing their sins, he has received into his favor, and freely pardoned them. And if they remain true to him, he will exalt them to his throne, and make them his heirs to the inheritance which he has purchased with his own blood.—Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy,* vol. 1, 159.1.‡
There is a story about a New Testament teacher who said to his students, “If you want to be a good Christian, you will have to kill the Jew in you.” Then one student answered: “Do you mean killing Jesus?” How does the blessing of Jacob to his sons relate to you personally? Is it possible to receive the blessings of Jacob while denying their Jewish component? What makes these blessings your blessings, as well??Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 174.
©2022, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Text in brackets is added. §Italic type is in the source. ¶Compared with the first source, this source has punctuation and/or capitalization differences only. [email protected]
Last Modified: April 24, 2022
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