Lesson 3: Joseph: A Life that God Intended for Good

Joseph’s Time: Joseph lived from about 1915BC to about 1805BC. Add him on your timeline.

What Do You Know About Joseph? Mark the following ten statements about Joseph “T” or “F.” If you’re not sure of the answer, use the reference at the end of the sentence to help you.

  1. Joseph was a son of Jacob and Rachel. (Genesis 30:23) ___
  1. Joseph’s brothers threw him in a cistern and sold him into slavery after Joseph bragged about dreams he had. (Genesis 37:19-36) ___
  1. Joseph was thrown into prison after he refused to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. (Genesis 39) ___
  1. Joseph got out of prison by escaping. (Genesis 41:1-40) ___
  1. Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt because they missed their brother and they wanted to apologize. (Genesis 41:57-42:5) ___
Bible Study: Learn More About Joseph and the LORD

Now read Genesis 45. Let’s see what more we can learn about Joseph and the LORD from this chapter.

  1. How might we expect Joseph to have treated his brothers when he met them again? Why?
  1. But Joseph wasn’t angry with them. According to Joseph, why did all that happen to him?
  1. As Christians, we also know that God will even work the evil that others aim at us for good. But there is an even a greater reason for us to forgive. What is it? (See Ephesians 4:32)

4. Why was it so important for God to preserve Jacob’s family through this famine?

5. How did Joseph treat his brothers after forgiving them? How did they treat him? What does this teach about the way we are to act toward each other after forgiving each other?

The Bridge to the Next Story

Jacob and his family stayed in Egypt through the famine and, when the famine was over, they remained in Egypt and settled there. So, the sons of Jacob became a “nation within a nation,” the nation of Israel dwelling in the nation of Egypt.

Eventually, Egypt took advantage of Israel and turned them into slaves. This went on for 430 years until, finally, God delivered his people from Egypt. He did this by appointing Moses as leader and Aaron as a spokesman. They went to Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Israelites, using plague after plague to try to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Pharaoh refused again and again…until God unleashed the most horrible plague of all: the angel of death.

The Lord said that he would end the life of every firstborn male in Egypt –even the cattle! And that in the middle of the chaos and mourning the Israelites would finally be able to escape. But first the Israelites had to escape the angel of death.