The old song said, 'California dreaming on such a winters day'. Tonight we will be 'Pharaoh dreaming on such a winter's day!' So come on out to Harvest Hills Community Church in Clinton for the Bible discussion on the life of Joseph in chapter 41 of Genesis!

Genesis 41:1-30 - Pharaoh dreaming on such a winter's day!
In our own words:
Genesis 41:1-8 tells us of Pharaoh’s dream and his inability to find someone able to interpret it. In verses 9-14, the cupbearer finally remembers Joseph and his interpretation of their dreams in prison, and Pharaoh called for Joseph to come and interpret his dream. Joseph interpreted the king’s dreams, which foretold of the coming seven years of great abundance in Egypt (41:29) and the following seven years of famine (41:29).

The difference between a vision and a dream is that a dream happens while you are asleep; whereas, a vision happens while you are awake.  You see a dream when unconscious while you see a vision when you are conscious.

Why do you think God made Joseph wait 2 years in prison?

Can you think of other people in the Bible who had “delays” in their lives?

Is God making you wait for something? How do you see God’s hand in the “delays” in your life? How are you allowing God to use you right where you are, while you wait?

Pharaoh is not Jewish, yet God spoke to him via this dream - God spoke to a non-believer! What do we discover about how God speaks to people? Do you believe God speaks to non-believers?

Can we discover anything about God’s character from the dreams?

What do we discover about God’s character from Joseph’s reaction to Pharaoh and his dreams?

What kind of person do you think the cupbearer was?

What is Godly character?

Who were magicians and wise men?

The first mention in the Bible of “wise men” is here in Genesis 41:8. “Wise men” in Hebrew is ‘chakam’. ‘Chakam’ means an intelligent, skillful, artful or cunning person. This same word is used throughout the rest of the Old Testament, except in the Book of Daniel.

In the New Testament, the first use of “wise men” is the Greek word ‘magos’, when the “wise men” came to visit Jesus. ‘Magos’ is an old Persian word equivalent to ‘chakam’ of the Old Testament.

Let’s look at Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:13.

Application - SPECS on Bible study

S - sin to confess and stop

P - promise to have or keep
E - example to follow

C - command to do or obey

S - stumbling block or problem to avoid or go around

Joseph's’ life teaches us that disappointments are vital to spiritual growth because they demand faith and resting all hope upon God. Raymond Edman wrote, “Delay never thwarts God’s purposes;

it only polishes His instrument.”

Come on out to Harvest Hills Community Church in Clinton for the Bible discussion on the life of Joseph in chapter 40. The title for tonight is, “Sweet dream baby, How long must I dream?”

Week 3: “Sweet dream baby, How long must I dream?”

Genesis 40: Let’s read the chapter

Before we talk about offending someone, let’s review the dreams and how they were interpreted.

“Sweet dream baby, How long must I dream?”


In verse 8, note who gets the credit for the interpretation of these dreams.


What do you learn about Joseph from the way he responded to these two men & their dreams while they were all in prison?


What do we discover about the two men?


In Genesis 40:14-15 and 20-23, how was life once again “unfair” to Joseph? Let’s expand our conversation on verse 15.


Let’s compare Acts 2.17-21, especially verse 17.


The king’s cupbearer and baker offended him! Everybody is offended these days! How do we respond when we are offended? Who have you offended? Who has offended you?

See verse 23; Do you feel like people have forgotten you at times? Do you feel God has forgotten you, as well? Have we forgotten others? Have we forgotten God?


SPECS on Bible study
S - sin to confess and stop

P - promise to have or keep

E - example to follow

C - command to do or obey

S - stumbling block or problem to avoid or go around

Hey friends .. come and hang out with us and Joseph from the book of Genesis. Tonight's class is in chapter 39 and called, 'From Potiphar to Prison to Position!

Week 2: Genesis 39 - From Potiphar to prison to position!

Chapter 38 seems like an “interruption” to our story of Joseph in Egypt, but it is a narrative of what took place back in Canaan during this time, especially concerning the life of Judah. We pick up our narrative of Joseph in Chapter 39.

What do we discover about how God works through, and how He uses, the negative circumstances in Joseph’s life?  How about the negative circumstances in your life?

Verses 2, 3, 5, 21, 23 say; “the Lord was with Him (Joseph) and blessed him, gave him success, granted him favor, making everything run smoothly”. What is our understanding of this phrase?

How was Joseph able to resist the temptation of Potiphar’s wife day after day?

Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and Potiphar believed his wife over Joseph, resulting in his imprisonment.  Let’s think about being ‘falsely accused’!  Where do false accusations come from?

Have you ever been falsely accused? How did you handle it? What resulted from it?

What was one “mistake” that Joseph made that perhaps could have prevented the false accusation against him?

Does God’s favor mean prosperity? Why or why not?

How does one gain God’s favor?

What does Stephen have to say about Joseph and what God did for him in Acts 7:9-10?

Application

Joseph lived a life of integrity and was faithful to God in the

midst of prosperity and adversity. He is a great example for us to follow.

• Are you living faithfully in the midst of prosperity and adversity?
• Do others around you see Christ in you?

Matthew Henry commentary:

(While in prison) Joseph was away from all his friends and family; … but the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy... A good man will do good wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bonds and banishment. Let us not forget, through Joseph, to look unto Jesus, who suffered being tempted, yet without sin; who was slandered, and persecuted, and imprisoned, but without cause; who by the cross ascended to the throne. May we be enabled to follow the same path in submitting and in suffering, to the same place of glory.

Wednesday night, the 6th ... we start the new year with Joseph and His Family - Genesis 37. Come one come all!

Week 1: Joseph and His Family - Genesis 37
For starters: We are told in Genesis 37:3 that Jacob made Joseph a varicolored tunic (ornate robe, coat of many colors). What was the significance of this tunic/coat?

How would you describe Joseph’s relationship with his brothers?


What part did their father play in the sibling relationship?

Could Joseph have prevented the jealousy of his brothers? Why or why not?

How would you describe Joseph’s relationship with his father, Jacob?

In verses 21-27 Reuben and Judah came to Joseph’s defense. Can we determine why these two would try to save Joseph?

How do you see God’s sovereign hand at work throughout this chapter?

How do you see God’s hand at work in your own life?

How was God already developing Joseph’s gifts at the age of 17?

How is God developing your gifts?

Application:

God “broke” Joseph by taking him out of comfortable circumstances

and stretching him. God often has to “break” us before He can use us.

• How has God “broken” you? How did it “strengthen” you?
• Are you willing to let God do whatever He needs to in your life to make you usable to Him? If not, why? Be honest with the Lord, and ask Him to make you willing, trusting His loving and sovereign hand in your life.