Genesis 42:1-38

Nelson Mandela uniting South AfricansRugby World Cup 1995

Call to Worship: 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 (NIV v. 13 adapted)

8    Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;             make known among the nations what he has done.9     Sing to him, sing praise to him;             tell of all his wonderful acts.10     Glory in his holy name;             let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.11     Look to the Lord and his strength;             seek his face always.12     Remember the wonders he has done,             his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,13    you his servants, the spiritual seed of Abraham,             his chosen ones, faithful disciples of Jesus.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 33:10-20 (NIV)

10    The Lord foils the plans of the nations;             he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.11    But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,             the purposes of his heart through all generations.

12    Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,             the people he chose for his inheritance.13    From heaven the Lord looks down             and sees all mankind;14    from his dwelling place he watches             all who live on earth—15    he who forms the hearts of all,             who considers everything they do.

16    No king is saved by the size of his army;             no warrior escapes by his great strength.17    A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;             despite all its great strength it cannot save.18    But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,             on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,19    to deliver them from death             and keep them alive in famine.

20    We wait in hope for the Lord;             he is our help and our shield.

Scripture Text: Genesis 42:1-38 (ESV)

I. Leaving Canaan: Jacob Sends Ten Sons to Egypt (42:1-5)1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

II. In Egypt Before Joseph (42:6-26)A. Joseph recognizes his brothers (6-8)6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. (Prov 11:26)

B. Joseph accuses his brothers of being spies (42:9-17)1. Joseph’s accusations (9-13)9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies.” 12 He said to them, “No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see.” 13 And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 

2. Joseph’s test (14-17) 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies. 15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and le

Genesis 41:37-57

Call to Worship: Psalm 99:1-5 GNT (Good News Translation)

1    The Lord is king,             and the people tremble.        He sits on his throne above the winged creatures,             and the earth shakes.2    The Lord is mighty in Zion;             he is supreme over all the nations.3     Everyone will praise his great and majestic name.             Holy is he!

4    Mighty king, you love what is right;             you have established justice in Israel;             you have brought righteousness and fairness.5    Praise the Lord our God;             worship before his throne!             Holy is he!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12 GNT (Good News Translation)

1     I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me                and kept my enemies from gloating over me.2     The I cried to you for help, O Lord my God,                and you healed me;3     The you kept me from the grave.        I was on my way to the depths below,                but you restored my life.

4    Sing praise to the Lord,             all his faithful people!        Remember what the Holy One has done,             and give him thanks!5     His anger lasts only a moment,             his goodness for a lifetime.        Tears may flow in the night,             but joy comes in the morning.

11    You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;             you have taken away my sorrow             and surrounded me with joy.12    So I will not be silent;             I will sing praise to you.        Lord, you are my God;             I will give you thanks forever.

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Genesis 41:37-57

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The Tribe of Joseph – Marc ChagallHadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center Synagogue

Call to Worship: Psalm 99:1-5 GNT (Good News Translation)

1    The Lord is king,             and the people tremble.        He sits on his throne above the winged creatures,             and the earth shakes.2    The Lord is mighty in Zion;             he is supreme over all the nations.3     Everyone will praise his great and majestic name.             Holy is he!

4    Mighty king, you love what is right;             you have established justice in Israel;             you have brought righteousness and fairness.5    Praise the Lord our God;             worship before his throne!             Holy is he!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 30:1-5, 11-12 GNT (Good News Translation)

1     I praise you, Lord, because you have saved me                and kept my enemies from gloating over me.2     The I cried to you for help, O Lord my God,                and you healed me;3     The you kept me from the grave.        I was on my way to the depths below,                but you restored my life.

4    Sing praise to the Lord,             all his faithful people!        Remember what the Holy One has done,             and give him thanks!5     His anger lasts only a moment,             his goodness for a lifetime.        Tears may flow in the night,             but joy comes in the morning.

11    You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance;             you have taken away my sorrow             and surrounded me with joy.12    So I will not be silent;             I will sing praise to you.        Lord, you are my God;             I will give you thanks forever.

Scripture Text: Genesis 41:37-52 (ESV)

I. The Exaltation of Joseph (41:37-45)A. Pharaoh’s praise (41:37-40)37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 

B. Joseph’s installation (41:41-45)41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

II. Joseph’s rule according to plan (41:46-57)A. The seven years of plenty (41:46-49)46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

B. Sons of a new era (41:50-52)50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim,

Genesis 41:1-40

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Call to Worship: Adapted from Isaiah 49:13; Ps 22:24, 27-28 (ESV)

    Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;            break forth, O mountains, into singing!    For he has not despised or abhorred            the affliction of the afflicted,    and he has not hidden his face from his anointed,            but has heard, when he cried to him.    All the ends of the earth shall remember            and turn to the LORD,    and all the families of the nations            shall worship before you.    For kingship belongs to the Lord            and he rules over all nations.

Scripture: Psalms 18:25-30 (ESV)

25     With the merciful you show yourself merciful;                with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;26        with the purified you show yourself pure;                 and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.27        For you save a humble people,                but the haughty eyes you bring down.28        For it is you who light my lamp;                the Lord my God lightens my darkness.29        For by you I can run against a troop,                and by my God I can leap over a wall.30        This God—his way is perfect;                the word of the Lord proves true;                he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Sermon Text: Genesis 41:1-40 (ESV)

I. Pharaoh’s World Invaded by Dreams (41:1-8)A. Pharaoh’s dreams (41:1-7)1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 

B. The failure of the empire (41:8)8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

II. Joseph is Remembered (41:9-16)A. The cupbearer confesses his lapse of memory (41:9-13)9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”

B. Joseph is summoned (41:14-16)14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

III. Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams (41:17-32)A. Pharaoh recounts his dreams (41:17-24)17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20

Genesis 41:1-40

Call to Worship: Adapted from Isaiah 49:13; Ps 22:24, 27-28 (ESV)

    Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;            break forth, O mountains, into singing!    For he has not despised or abhorred            the affliction of the afflicted,    and he has not hidden his face from his anointed,            but has heard, when he cried to him.    All the ends of the earth shall remember            and turn to the LORD,    and all the families of the nations            shall worship before you.    For kingship belongs to the Lord            and he rules over all nations.

Scripture: Psalms 18:25-30 (ESV)

25     With the merciful you show yourself merciful;                with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;26        with the purified you show yourself pure;                 and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.27        For you save a humble people,                but the haughty eyes you bring down.28        For it is you who light my lamp;                the Lord my God lightens my darkness.29        For by you I can run against a troop,                and by my God I can leap over a wall.30        This God—his way is perfect;                the word of the Lord proves true;                he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Sermon Questions

Genesis 40:1-23

Call to Worship: Psalms 81:1; 84:1, 2, 4, 11 (NIV)

1         Sing for joy to God our strength;                    shout aloud to the God of Jacob!

1         How lovely is your dwelling place,                    Lord Almighty!2         My soul yearns, even faints,                    for the courts of the Lord;            my heart and my flesh cry out                    for the living God.

4         Blessed are those who dwell in your house;                    they are ever praising you.

11         For the Lord God is a sun and shield;                    Lord bestows favor and honor;            no good thing does he withhold                    from those whose walk is blameless.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31 (NIV)

27        Why do you complain, Jacob?                    Why do you say, Israel,            “My way is hidden from the Lord;                    my cause is disregarded by my God”?28         Do you not know?                    Have you not heard?            The Lord is the everlasting God,                    the Creator of the ends of the earth.            He will not grow tired or weary,                    and his understanding no one can fathom.29         He gives strength to the weary                    and increases the power of the weak.30         Even youths grow tired and weary,                    and young men stumble and fall;31         but those who hope in the Lord                    will renew their strength.            They will soar on wings like eagles;                    they will run and not grow weary,                    they will walk and not be faint.

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Genesis 39:1-23

Call to Worship: Psalm 105:1-4 (ESV)

Leader:Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;make known his deeds among the peoples!

People:We sing to himWe sing praises to him;We tell of all his wondrous works!

Leader:Glory in his holy name;let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

People:We seek the Lord and his strength;We seek his presence continually!

Scripture: Psalm 1 (ESV)

1       Blessed is the man                who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,          nor stands in the way of sinners,                nor sits in the seat of scoffers;2       but his delight is in the law of the Lord,                and on his law he meditates day and night.

3       He is like a tree                planted by streams of water          that yields its fruit in its season,                and its leaf does not wither.          In all that he does, he prospers.4       The wicked are not so,                but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5       Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,                nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;6       for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,                but the way of the wicked will perish.

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Genesis 37:2-36

Call: Psalm 98:1-3 (ESV)

1      Oh sing to the Lord a new song,                    for he has done marvelous things!    His right hand and his holy arm                    have worked salvation for him.2     The Lord has made known his salvation;                    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.3     He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness                      to the house of Israel.    All the ends of the earth have seen                    the salvation of our God.

Scripture:  Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

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John 8:12-20

Call: Responsive Reading from Psalm 27 and John 4:23

Leader:  Let us worship God, our light and our salvation.

People: The Lord is the stronghold of our lives.

Leader:  We desire to live in God’s houseand to seek God in his holy temple.

People: We have come with shouts of joy,to sing and to make music to the Lord.

Leader:  Let us worship God in spirit and in truth.

People: Teach us your ways and make straight our paths in this hour of worship and always.

Scripture:  John 1:1-5, 9-13 (ESV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

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Matthew 5:8, Luke 2:22-40

Call to Worship: Isaiah 9:2-3a, 6-7 (NIV)

2 The people walking in darkness    have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness    a light has dawned.3 You have enlarged the nation    and increased their joy;they rejoice before you    as people rejoice at the harvest.

6 For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given,    and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the greatness of his government and peace    there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne    and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it    with justice and righteousness    from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty    will accomplish this.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:20-23  (NIV)

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

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