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1. Now comes the time for the “official” introductions and decisions to be made. What does it tell us about Joseph that he must go to Pharaoh before settling his family in Goshen?
What does Joseph tell Pharaoh?
What instructions did Joseph give to his brothers concerning their meeting with Pharaoh?
2. How many brothers does Joseph take with him?
Why do you think we are not told the names of these brothers?
If you were in Joseph’s place, which five brothers would you have taken? Please explain.
3. What question does Pharaoh ask the brothers?
What is their answer?
How do you account for this answer considering Joseph’s previous instructions?
Notice, Joseph’s brothers make the appeal to Pharaoh, not Joseph. Why?
What do the brothers say to Pharaoh in verse 4?
How do the brothers refer to themselves when speaking to Pharaoh? Why do you think they do this?
4. Pharaoh gives his answer to Jacob, not to the brothers. Why do you think he does this?
What does Pharaoh say to Joseph?
For what special ability do you think Pharaoh is looking?
Finally, Joseph brings his father to meet Pharaoh. What do you think Joseph was feeling as he did this?
What does Jacob do when he is brought before Pharaoh?
Why do you think he does this?
What does it mean that he blessed Pharaoh?
What does Pharaoh ask Jacob?
What is Jacob’s answer? What word does Jacob use to describe his life?
In what way has his 103 years been a pilgrimage?
What else does Jacob say about the years of his pilgrimage?
Before leaving Pharaoh, what does Jacob do?
5. According to verse 11, what does Joseph do for his family?
How do you think other Egyptians felt about these Hebrews being given some of the best land in Egypt?
What else does he do for them? (See verse 12.)
How has the famine affected the people of Egypt? Joseph’s family?
6. We read in verse 13 that there was no food in the entire region. Why do you think we are just now reading this?
What was the result of the severe famine?
What does it mean to you that Egypt AND Canaan were wasting away?
Now begins an interesting example of Joseph’s stewardship. What did Joseph do when the entire area was wasting away?
What did Joseph do with all the money that he collected?
We don’t know how much time has passed, but when the people had no more money with which to buy food, what did they do?
What was Joseph’s response?
What did the people bring to Joseph in exchange for food?
How long were the people able to buy food this way?
7. After that year the people are once again starving. They have no more money or livestock. What do they have left with which to buy food?
Should Joseph have had compassion upon them at this time? Please explain.
In some countries in the world today where famines are severe, families will sell their children for food. How do you feel about this practice?
To keep from perishing, what are the people of Egypt willing to do?
What does it mean that the people were willing to be in bondage to Pharaoh?
This time, the people ask for more than food. What do they ask of Joseph? (See verse 19.)
How will this help the land from becoming desolate?
8. According to verse 20, what does Joseph do?
What can we learn about Egypt under Pharaoh that the people owned their own land?
What does it mean to you that the Egyptians, one and all, had to sell their land?
What does verse 21 say Joseph did to the people?
What does it mean to you that Joseph reduced the people to servitude?
What other alternate wording can you find for verse 21? Why might Joseph remove all the people to the cities?
9. According to verse 22, what was the only group that was allowed to keep their land?
Why did they not have to sell their land?
What does this tell us about the religious system of Egypt?
What would be the danger of this practice?
10. How do you feel about Joseph’s buying all the people and land for Pharaoh?
Joseph is willing to give the people seed so they can plant the ground. However, what do they have to do when the crop comes in?
Does this seem like a fair arrangement? Please explain.
This next part is interesting. Joseph has taken all their money, livestock, and land. He owns them. Yet, how do they respond in verse 25?
How do you explain this reaction?
Next, Joseph goes one step further. What law did Joseph establish?
How would everyone benefit from such a law?
11. While all of this is taking place, what is happening to the Israelites in Goshen?
So, while everyone else is losing land, the Israelites are acquiring land. How do you explain this?
According to verse 28, how long did Jacob live in Egypt? How old was he?
As his death approached, for whom does Jacob send? Why do you think he did not ask for any other of his sons?
What does Jacob ask Joseph to do for him when Jacob dies?
What does he ask Joseph to do as an oath?
We saw this same practice in chapter 24. What can you learn about it?
Why does Jacob not want to be buried in Egypt?
What did Jacob do after Joseph swore to bury him with his fathers?
What does it mean to you that Jacob worshipped God by leaning on his staff?
12. After reading this account of the famine in Egypt, how would you summarize Joseph’s role as Pharaoh’s steward?
What can we learn about being God’s stewards from Joseph’s actions?
What was the name of the Pharaoh when Joseph was first sold into slavery?
What was the name of the Pharaoh when Jacob died?
What does that tell us about Joseph in that he was steward for more than one Pharaoh? |