Guide 1 - Joseph

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Hill​ ​City​ ​Church 

Redemption​ ​Through​ ​History​ ​Guide 

 

Joseph​ ​/​ ​Genesis​ ​37-46​ ​/​ ​Plan​ ​A 

Reading:

17​ ​“'Say​ ​to​ ​Joseph,​ ​"Please​ ​forgive​ ​the​ ​transgression​ ​of​ ​your​ ​brothers​ ​and​ ​their​ ​sin,​ ​because they​ ​did​ ​evil​ ​to​ ​you."'​ ​And​ ​now,​ ​please​ ​forgive​ ​the​ ​transgression​ ​of​ ​the​ ​servants​ ​of​ ​the​ ​God of​ ​your​ ​father."​ ​Joseph​ ​wept​ ​when​ ​they​ ​spoke​ ​to​ ​him.”​ 1 ​ 8​ ​“His​ ​brothers​ ​also​ ​came​ ​and​ ​fell

down​ ​before​ ​him​ ​and​ ​said,​ ​"Behold,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​your​ ​servants."​ ​19​ ​But​ ​Joseph​ ​said​ ​to​ ​them,​ ​"Do not​ ​fear,​ ​for​ ​am​ ​I​ ​in​ ​the​ ​place​ ​of​ ​God?​ ​20​ ​As​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​you​ ​meant​ ​evil​ ​against​ ​me,​ ​but​ ​God meant​ ​it​ ​for​ ​good,​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​it​ ​about​ ​that​ ​many​ ​people​ ​should​ ​be​ ​kept​ ​alive,​ ​as​ ​they​ ​are

today.​ ​21​ ​So​ ​do​ ​not​ ​fear;​ ​I​ ​will​ ​provide​ ​for​ ​you​ ​and​ ​your​ ​little​ ​ones."​ ​Thus​ ​he​ ​comforted them​ ​and​ ​spoke​ ​kindly​ ​to​ ​them.​ ​-​Genesis​ ​50:17-21

Getting​ ​Started  Read​ ​the​ ​above​ ​verses  1. In​ ​your​ ​own​ ​words,​ ​summarize​ ​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Joseph 

Digging​ ​in  1. What​ ​was​ ​a​ ​time/moment​ ​in​ ​your​ ​life​ ​when​ ​you​ ​felt​ ​like​ ​you​ ​were​ ​treated  unfairly​ ​by​ ​someone? 

Going​ ​Deeper  One​ ​goal​ ​that​ ​Hill​ ​City​ ​Church​ ​has​ ​in​ ​our​ ​‘Redemption​ ​Through​ ​History’​ ​series,  is​ ​for​ ​us​ ​as​ ​a​ ​body​ ​to​ ​see​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Gospel​ ​narrative​ ​has​ ​been​ ​revealed​ ​time  and​ ​time​ ​again​ ​for​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​years.​ ​Before​ ​Christ​ ​ever​ ​stepped​ ​foot​ ​on  Earth,​ ​we​ ​can​ ​see​ ​the​ ​Gospel​ ​story​ ​played​ ​out,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​can​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​about​ ​the  true​ ​Gospel,​ ​by​ ​reading​ ​and​ ​learning​ ​from​ ​these​ ​other​ ​stories.  In​ ​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Joseph,​ ​we​ ​see​ ​a​ ​man​ ​who​ ​suffered,​ ​despite​ ​having​ ​done​ ​nothing  wrong.​ ​We​ ​see​ ​a​ ​man​ ​who​ ​was​ ​betrayed​ ​by​ ​those​ ​closest​ ​to​ ​him​ ​for​ ​a​ ​few​ ​pieces 

of​ ​silver.​ ​We​ ​see​ ​a​ ​man​ ​who​ ​was​ ​diligent​ ​and​ ​faithful​ ​to​ ​the​ ​promises​ ​of​ ​God,  despite​ ​circumstances​ ​that​ ​would​ ​say​ ​otherwise.​ ​Joseph​ ​is​ ​the​ ​example​ ​of​ ​the  impending​ ​Messiah.  ●

Expectations​ ​and​ ​suffering  ○

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What​ a ​ re​ ​expectations/goals​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​for​ ​your​ ​life?  ■ How​ ​do​ ​you​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​respond​ ​if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​achieve​ ​your​ ​goals  or​ ​your​ ​expectations​ ​are​ ​not​ ​met?  How​ ​can​ ​unmet​ ​expectations​ ​impact​ ​your​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​God?  ■ How​ ​would​ ​you​ ​respond​ ​if​ ​God​ ​gave​ ​you​ ​nothing​ ​that​ ​you  desired​ ​and​ ​you​ ​never​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​goals  and​ ​expectations​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​for​ ​yourself?   

Endurance​ ​in​ ​suffering 

“As​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​you​ ​meant​ ​evil​ ​against​ ​me,​ ​but​ ​God​ ​meant​ ​it​ ​for​ ​good.​ ​To​ ​bring​ ​it  about​ ​that​ ​many​ ​people​ ​should​ ​be​ ​kept​ ​alive,​ ​as​ ​they​ ​are​ ​today.” 

-Genesis​ ​50:20    “And​ ​if​ ​children,​ ​then​ ​heirs-heirs​ ​of​ ​God​ ​and​ f ​ ellow​ h ​ eirs​ w ​ ith​ ​Christ, 

provided​ ​we​ ​suffer​ ​with​ ​Him​ ​in​ ​order​ ​that​ ​we​ ​may​ ​also​ ​be​ ​glorified​ ​with​ ​Him.”  -Romans​ ​8:17 

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Joseph​ ​is​ ​most​ ​similar​ ​to​ ​Christ​ ​in​ ​his​ ​suffering​ ​(as​ ​often​ ​we  are).​ ​What​ ​makes​ ​Joseph’s​ ​response​ ​to​ ​suffering​ ​one​ ​that​ ​should​ ​be  mimicked?  Joseph​ ​stayed​ ​steadfast​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​difficult​ ​circumstances.  He​ ​kept​ ​his​ ​eyes​ ​towards​ ​God,​ ​despite​ ​everything​ ​that​ ​had​ ​happened  to​ ​him.   ■ How​ ​do​ ​you​ ​tell​ ​the​ ​difference​ ​between​ ​a​ ​difficult​ ​situation  that​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​yourself​ ​from​ ​(Potiphar’s​ ​wife)​ ​and  one​ ​that​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​strong​ ​and​ ​steadfast​ ​through  (Joseph’s​ ​time​ ​in​ ​prison)  ■ How​ ​did​ ​Joseph​ ​respond​ ​to​ ​discouragement?  ● How​ ​would​ ​you​ ​respond​ ​to​ ​the​ ​perceived​ ​silence​ ​of​ ​God? 

Application 

1. Forgiveness​ ​or​ ​wrath? 

One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​impactful​ ​moments​ ​of​ ​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Joseph​ ​is​ ​the​ ​moment​ ​he  finally​ ​gets​ ​to​ ​confront​ ​his​ ​brothers​ ​who​ ​sold​ ​him​ ​into​ ​slavery​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first  place.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​an​ ​emotional​ ​moment​ ​with​ ​more​ ​things​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​gleaned.   ○

Read​ G ​ enesis​ ​45:1-5  ■ If​ ​Jesus​ ​were​ ​saying​ ​verses​ ​4​ ​and​ ​5​ ​to​ ​us,​ ​how​ ​would​ ​they  sound? 

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1. Example:​ ​“Jesus​ ​said,​ ​‘come​ ​near​ ​to​ ​me​ ​please.​ ​I​ ​am  your​ ​brother,​ ​Jesus,​ ​whom​ ​to​ ​killed​ ​on​ ​a​ ​cross.​ ​Do​ ​not  be​ ​distressed​ ​or​ ​angry​ ​with​ ​yourselves​ ​because​ ​you​ ​put  me​ ​here,​ ​for​ ​God​ ​sent​ ​me​ ​to​ ​preserve​ ​and​ ​give​ ​life.’”  What​ ​is​ ​the​ ​impact​ ​of​ ​saying​ ​‘​and​ ​now​ ​do​ ​not​ ​be​ ​distressed  or​ ​angry​ ​with​ ​yourselves…​’​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​just​ ​saying​ ​‘I  forgive​ ​you’?​ ​(verse​ ​5)  Which​ ​shows​ ​more​ ​strength,​ ​to​ ​kill/destroy,​ ​or​ ​to​ ​forgive?  1. why? 

Reflection  1. Who​ a ​ re​ ​people​ ​that​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​forgive​ ​right​ ​now?  a. What​ ​type​ ​of​ ​healing​ ​can​ ​come​ ​if​ ​you​ ​were​ ​to​ ​forgive​ ​them​ ​and  respond​ ​like​ ​Joseph​ ​did?  2. What​ ​does​ ​the​ ​story​ ​of​ ​Joseph​ ​show​ ​about​ ​God?  3. What​ ​do​ ​you​ ​find​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​most​ ​impressive​ ​aspect​ ​of​ ​Joseph’s​ ​life?  4. Read​ ​Genesis​ ​50:20​ ​again​ ​(above),​ ​how​ ​can​ ​being​ ​reminded​ ​of​ ​this​ ​truth  help​ ​you​ ​tomorrow? 

  Special​ ​Thanks​ ​to: 

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-joseph-story-really-about http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/god-meant-it-for-good