Moving house does not make my list of fun things to do. It is hard work physically and stressful emotionally. Moving was especially difficult for Jacob. He was 130 years old. He could not call up a moving company; however, he did have the wagons sent by Pharaoh to help. Jacob also had 11 sons […]
When I was a child, children’s church teachers would sometimes read continuing stories to us. Each week the story would end at a very exciting point and the teacher would say, “Come back next week to find out what happens next.” That is the way Joseph’s story has been for several weeks now. Each week […]
Life in 2015 is full of stress. We are stressed by family tensions, marriage struggles, work deadlines, school assignments, traffic jams, employer expectations, rising prices, sickness, hot weather, overdue bills, and aging parents. To deal with stress, people over eat, take medication, drink alcohol, smoke, and go to counsellors. Stress is a real problem. Transition […]
As Genesis 42 opens, Joseph had been the Prime Minister of Egypt for about eight years. During the seven years of plenty, he had supervised the storage of an abundance of grain in Egypt. Perhaps there were some who called him a fool for storing so much grain when life was so good, but God […]
Last week, we learned in Genesis 40 that Joseph interpreted dreams for the king’s butler and baker. As the butler returned to his duties in the palace, Joseph begged him to do what he could to secure Joseph’s freedom. Sadly, the chapter ends that he forgot Joseph. Genesis 41 begins with fresh hope for Joseph. […]
Are you a selfish person? Do the following statements describe you? I dislike helping my spouse do his or her jobs. I ought to get more respect from my spouse. I tend to be a sloppy person and let other pick up after me. I often try to get the biggest or best. I dislike […]
On a number of occasions, people have asked me, “If there is a God, why does He allow good people to suffer?” What is the answer to that question? Is God powerless to prevent suffering? Does He not care? Does the Bible give us the answer? Yes, it does. Transition This morning I would like […]
When Joseph reached Egypt, Potiphar bought him. Now Potiphar was an officer of the Pharaoh (king) of Egypt. In fact, he was the captain of the king’s guard. The “guard” may have been the king’s executioners or the king’s bodyguards or both. Psalm 105:17-18 tells us that Joseph spent some time with chains of iron […]
This chapter covers many years of time. It is probable that the episode began several years before the brothers sold Joseph. Though the details of this chapter are unsavoury, God placed them in the Bible for our benefit. God wants us to learn from the sinful mistakes of people in the past so that we […]
We are going to skip over the family tree of Esau listed in Genesis 36 and move on this morning to Genesis 37. Often the last-born child in a family tends to be spoiled by the parents. They pamper the child, overlook their faults, and treat them with special privileges that the older children never […]