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Sunday, April 20, 2014

Joseph -- from Old Testament Stories, (1980)



“And we know that all things work together for good to 


them that love God” (Romans 8:28).

 Our actions toward others should depend more on 

what we want than on what they do. 

Our attitudes determine our actions. 




1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
Jacob’s family lived in the land of Canaan. It was the promised land.



                                                             

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Joseph was one of Jacob’s sons. He was 17 years old.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved his other sons. This made the other sons angry. Jacob made a beautiful coat for Joseph. It had many colors.





5 ¶And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

Joseph had two dreams. He told his dreams to his brothers. His dreams meant that he would be their leader.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.




Genesis 37: 9-10
9 ¶And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

http://www.searchingthescriptures.net/main_pages/free_bible_land_maps/map022.htm




8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Joseph’s brothers did not want him to be their leader. They hated him. 
12 ¶And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
Joseph’s brothers took care of the animals. They took the animals far from home to find food.  





Genesis 37:13–14
13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

One day Jacob told Joseph to go find his brothers. Jacob wanted to know if they were all right.  
Why would Jacob worry about his sons being near Shechem?


Genesis 37:18–20
18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Joseph went to look for his brothers. They saw him coming. They wanted to kill Joseph.  



21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

23 ¶And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

One brother did not want to kill Joseph. He said they should put Joseph into a hole in the ground. They took Joseph’s coat away from him. They put Joseph in the hole.




25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry itdown to Egypt.

26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they [his brothers] drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
Some men came along riding on camels. Joseph’s brothers took him out of the hole. They sold him to the men. The men took Joseph to Egypt.



31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.
The brothers killed a goat. They put the goat’s blood on Joseph’s coat. They took the coat to their father.




33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
Jacob saw the blood on Joseph’s coat. He thought a wild animal had killed Joseph.




Genesis 37:34–35
34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

Jacob cried. He was sad for a long time. He loved Joseph very much. He thought Joseph was dead.



Thirteenth Article of Faith 1



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