GOD IN THE LIFE OF JOSEPH
The story of Joseph teaches about faith and trust, and
God’s power in times of suffering.
It’s also a thrilling story of a 17-year-old boy who was:
• Favored by his father;
• Resented by his ten
older brothers;
• Thrown into a pit in
the wilderness;
• Sold into slavery and
never returned home.
GOD IN THE LIFE OF JOSEPH
Later—just when it appeared his life was improving—
he was:
• Stalked by someone powerful and vengeful;
• Falsely accused and imprisoned;
• Abandoned in jail without friends or supporters to
defend him;
• Forgotten by people who owed him a favor.
But throughout the misery, God was there with Joseph.
GOD IN THE LIFE OF JOSEPH
Joseph’s story gives hope on four levels:
• Personal: God has a purpose in our suffering. God grew
Joseph from immaturity to strength and mercy.
• Family: God used bad circumstances to save Joseph’s
family and change attitudes.
• Nationally: God used Joseph’s misfortunes to save many
lives and set up the rest of the biblical story that leads to
the saving of the world through Christ.
GOD IN THE LIFE OF JOSEPH
Joseph’s story gives hope on four levels:
• Beyond: God used this event to bring blessing to the
world long past biblical days. We, too, are part of God’s
larger plan that calls for patience and trust during times
of suffering. Just as God blessed Joseph’s faithfulness,
God will bless our faithfulness.
MENU
JOSEPH AND HIS FAMILY
A STORY WITHIN A STORY
JOSEPH IN EGYPT
JOSEPH IN PRISON
JOSEPH IN THE PALACE
RECONCILIATION
THE GOD WHO WAS THERE
JOSEPH’S FAMILY TREE & TIME LINE
In Slide Show mode, click on any option above
JOSEPH AND HIS
FAMILY
Genesis 12:1–3
Genesis 37:1–36
JOSEPH AND HIS FAMILY
This story begins long before Joseph’s birth, with his
great-grandfather, Abraham, a nomadic sheep and goat
herder who lived in the dry, hot region of the Middle
East known then as Canaan and today as Israel.
Judean wilderness,
Israel
JOSEPH AND HIS FAMILY
Journeys of Joseph
1.Hebron (Gen. 37:14)
2.Shechem (Gen. 37:14–15)
3.Dotham (Gen. 37:17)
4.Egypt (Gen. 37:25–28)
Route of Joseph
Route of the
Ishmaelite Traders
A STORY WITHIN A
STORY
Genesis 38
A STORY WITHIN A STORY
Right in the middle of the story of Joseph, the Bible
pauses and tells a separate story.
Joseph’s brother Judah, now a grown man with three
sons, tries to deceive his daughter-in-law, Tamar, by
promising to follow the biblical laws that will protect
her but actually refusing to carry them out.
JOSEPH IN EGYPT
Joseph goes from being the beloved son to being sold as
a powerless slave in a powerful Egyptian officer’s
home.
Potiphar is the captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard.
Stone carving of slaves in Egypt.
JOSEPH IN PRISON
A good man treated wrongly, framed, betrayed by his
employer’s wife despite his flawless performance.
No one would blame Joseph for becoming angry and
bitter, but he didn’t. However, “the Lord was with
Joseph” (Gen. 39:2).
Joseph used his administrative skills to help, and over
time was put in charge of all the prisoners and the
prison organization.
He found favor with the chief jailer, whose confidence
in Joseph was so high that he didn’t even supervise
Joseph.
Discussion
Question
RECONCILIATION
Pharaoh sets Joseph over all Egypt, gives him his signet
ring of authority, clothes him in fine linen and
emblems of power, and puts him in a chariot and
makes him his second-in-command.
Joseph oversees
Pharaoh’s granaries.
THE GOD WHO WAS THERE
Through Joseph’s life,
we can learn how God
moves in the lives of his
people. Throughout the
story, we find God at
crucial moments.
He is not always acting directly, but his presence is
constant, causing or enabling all possible movement:
geographic, moral, from foolishness to wisdom.
Through the movement in Joseph’s story, God redeems
a broken family.