Key Thought: The trials, challenges, and difficulties we face often prepares us for greater things. Difficulties and trials does not mean God has forsaken us or loves us less..
.August 7, 2021

1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 34:27-31

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What kind of emotional and relational impact would this incident have had on the family as a whole and on Joseph as well?
3. Personal Application: What family dysfunction have you inherited? How can you break the pattern? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “How can Abraham’s family be considered people of faith when you consider their messy family relationships?.” How would you respond to your friend?

2. Have a volunteer read Genesis 37:3,4; 39:1.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What did the older brothers hope to gain by selling Joseph? What kind of character development had occurred in Joseph’s sons? Did having multiple mothers contribute to their lack of development in empathy and care for one another?
3. Personal Application: Did your parents ever favor a sibling over you? How did it make you feel? How do you relate to it now? Or were you the favored one? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Do you think Israel made a mistake in favoring Joseph so much over his brothers? Wouldn’t that cause them to be jealous and feel less loved and important?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Genesis 39:1-10.

1.  Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. What did Joseph do whole in prison? How did he relate to those around him?
3. Personal Application: Are there people or situations that would make it hard to relate to people around you? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Families tend to stick together pretty good until something bad happens to them, and then they can either draw closer in faith, or blame each other, fight and argue, and/or shut everyone out – which causes division and trouble in the home. Even in Christian homes, it seems like trouble brings division. Does that mean their faith isn’t real?“ How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Genesis 40:20-23.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
2. How would you feel being in prison. falsely accused, and having to be incarcerated by a foreign nation in a foreign country?
3. Personal Application: How can you, by God’s grace, seek to follow love, forgiveness, and burden bearing to bring healing to your family relationships?” Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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Initially Joseph’s story in Egypt takes a positive turn. Joseph has entrusted himself to God, and God blesses Joseph, who rises to heights he would not have imagined in Potiphar’s household.

In what practical ways could God’s blessings be seen in Joseph’s life? What are Joseph’s interpersonal relationships like? Read Genesis 39:1-6.

Although Joseph seems to be getting along very well with Potiphar, and his relationships among the staff in the house and on the field seem to be smooth — trouble is brewing. Someone at home is restless.

What relationship problem is Joseph facing? How does he choose to manage it? Read Genesis 39:7-10.

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Joseph has a problem with Potiphar’s wife. Perhaps we should reformulate that: Potiphar’s wife has a problem. She looks at others as “things” that can be manipulated and used. She wants to “use” Joseph. Joseph is described as “handsome in form and appearance” (Genesis 39:6). The Bible seldom mentions people’s physical traits, because God “does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). In this case Joseph’s good looks seem to be more of a hinderance than a help in his pursuit of purity and faithfulness to God’s principles.

Despite this wicked woman’s insistence, Joseph does something seemingly counterproductive. He applies biblical principles to all relationships — in this case Potiphar’s wife. Biblical principles for relationships are not old-fashioned, as anyone (which is everyone) who has suffered the consequences of sin can attest.

The biblical narrative points out that this is not a one-off temptation. Potiphar’s wife pursued him again and again (Genesis 39:10). Joseph tried explaining his motivation for his decision ( Genesis 39.8-9) but this did not seem to work.

Joseph realizes that he cannot control the choices of others. He decides, however, to live, love, and treat those around him in a way that will honor God. Joseph has learned to live in God’s presence. This knowledge helped him resist temptation.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Rest. The word used most frequently in our Sabbath School Lesson pamphlet this quarter. “Thou shalt rest, Thou shalt rest!” These are words repeated each verse of
Hymn 387 – Come, O Sabbath Day, our theme hymn for this quarter.

We could add to the theme
Hymn 529 – Under His Wings. Each week of study, gives more and more of showing God’s deepest care for us, His children. As God’s children we find this week the family has growing pains, and still does today. Yet, we are still “under His wings”.

Our family has evidence that
Blest Be the Tie That Binds – Hymn 350 our hearts in Christian love is the best way to pray together, and stay together. Truly
Hymn 655 – Happy the Home show us the wonders of God being with us.

Sadness is seen in the dysfunctional families in the Bible (and our failing world today), but still our study gives us encouragement that in the end the Biblical families were able to sing
The God of Abraham Praise – Hymn 11. Ellen White points out that “Joseph believed that the God of his fathers would be his God –
Hymn 645 – God of Our Fathers. It was then that “Joseph gave himself fully to the Lord” –
Hymn 572 – Give of Your Best to the Master.

Tuesday points out the fact that “God looks at each of us with glasses tinted with grace” –
Hymn 108 – Amazing Grace and
Hymn 109 – Marvelous Grace.

Joseph continued to grow immensely and we find that he does not yield to temptation as may be sung in our previous hymnal,
Number 498 – Yield Not to Temptation. It was the help received from God that won. We can find this in
Hymn 103 – O God, Our Help.

Blessings to you for a wonderful week ahead.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing, but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.organd in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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If Joseph had entertained any hopes of escaping and finding his way back home, they were dashed on reaching Egypt, where Joseph is resold into a prominent household. Genesis 39:1 tells us that “Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites” (NKJV). Suddenly the young man was thrust into a strange new language and culture.

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Our families and close relationships are pivotal in the development of our self-esteem. Joseph had grown up believing that he was something special — the oldest son of the most beloved wife (Genesis 29:18). He was definitely his father’s favorite, and the only one with a beautiful coat of many colors ( Genesis 37.3-4).

But who was he now? A slave, someone who could be bought or sold at will. Look at how quickly his whole situation changed. Look at how quickly life seemed to have turned on him.

Indeed, Joseph learns the lesson that we all have to learn. If we are dependent on others to tell us what we are worth, then we will be in for a rough ride and be horribly confused, because not everyone is going to appreciate who we are or what we are like. Instead, we need to find our self-worth in what God thinks of us — how God sees us — and not in the roles that we currently have.

How does God see each of us? (Isaiah 43:1; Malachi 3:17; John 1:12; John 15:15; Romans 8:14;  1 John 3.1-2).

God looks at each of us with glasses tinted with grace. He sees a potential, beauty, and talent that we can’t even imagine. Ultimately, He was prepared to die for us so that we could get the opportunity to become all we were created to be. Though showing us our sinfulness and the great price it cost to redeem us from it, the Cross also shows us our great worth and value to God. Regardless of what others think of us or even what we think about ourselves, God loves us and seeks to redeem us from not only the power of sins now but from the eternal death that they bring.

The key question, then, is always the same: How do we respond to the reality of God’s love, as revealed in Jesus Christ?

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Joseph takes pain, complicated relationships, and anxiety with him as he travels to Egypt, where he is to be sold as a slave. This was not a restful trip as he fought back the tears.

“Meanwhile, Joseph with his captors was on the way to Egypt. As the caravan journeyed southward toward the borders of Canaan, the boy could discern in the distance the hills among which lay his father’s tents. Bitterly he wept at the thought of that loving father in his loneliness and affliction.

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Again the scene at Dothan came up before him. He saw his angry brothers and felt their fierce glances bent upon him. The stinging, insulting words that had met his agonized entreaties were ringing in his ears. With a trembling heart he looked forward to the future. What a change in situation — from the tenderly cherished son to the despised and helpless slave! Alone and friendless, what would be his lot in the strange land to which he was going? For a time Joseph gave himself up to uncontrolled grief and terror. …

Then his thoughts turned to his father’s God. In his childhood he had been taught to love and fear Him. Often in his father’s tent he had listened to the story of the vision that Jacob saw as he fled from his home an exile and a fugitive. … Now all these precious lessons came vividly before him. Joseph believed that the God of his fathers would be his God. He then and there gave himself fully to the Lord, and he prayed that the Keeper of Israel would be with him in the land of his exile.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 213, 214 (italics supplied).

Some cultures emphasize the role of the community over the individual, while other cultures are inclined to emphasize the role of the individual over the community. While we find a balance between these two in Scripture, there is clearly a call to personal as well as corporate commitment to God. Joseph begins to find rest in his relationships by making a personal decision to follow God.

What do the following verses teach us about personal commitment? (Deuteronomy 4:29, Joshua 24:15, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalm 14:2, Proverbs 8:10, Isaiah 55:6).

To find rest, we each must make a personal decision to follow God. Even if our ancestors were spiritual giants, this faith and spirituality aren’t transmitted genetically. Remember, God has only children, no grandchildren.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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