Meant for Good, pt.1 – Genesis 37:1-11

• How is the Bible often read wrongly, especially the Old Testament?
• How should we read the Old Testament? the New Testament?
• What does it mean that our Holy Scripture is the Story of God and not a textbook or instruction manual?
• What are these two quotes telling us about how to approach the Bible? “The Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! It takes the whole Bible to tell this story… Every story in the Bible whispers his name” (Sally Lloyd-Jones)….  “From every town, village, and little hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London… and so from every text in Scripture there is a road to the metropolis of the Scriptures, that is Christ. Your business is, when you get to a text, to say, ‘Now, what is the road to Christ?’ and then preach a sermon, running along the road towards the great metropolis—Christ” (Spurgeon).

• As we consider the gospel of Joseph beginning in Genesis 37, we set the context with quick overview of God’s covenant family in Genesis 12-36 – the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. How are you disconcerted and/or comforted by these stories in the Story of God?
• What big ideas/lessons do these chapters reveal to us about God?

• How do we see favoritism in this passage?
• Why is favoritism a sin? How have you seen, experienced or even shown favoritism in your life? What are some main motivators of favoritism?
• Does God ever show favoritism, or partiality, to us? Explain.
• How is religion us always trying to be a favorite of God? How is the Gospel us knowing the favor of God to us in Christ Jesus? Contrast and explain.

• 17-year old Joseph had two dreams which he promptly shares with his family. In the coming days and years of suffering, he probably doubted those dreams, not knowing what they mean or if they were from God. These dreams would come be fulfilled, but not in a trajectory that Joseph would have chosen or imagined. What does this tell us about God “dreams”?
• What have been your God-glorifying dreams for life? How have you been able to bless the name of the Lord on the road marked with suffering, when there’s pain in the offering?
• Read Philippians 2:1-11. All… ALL… will bow to Jesus one day. What was this road and this offering for Christ Jesus?

Genesis 37-50 is a large chunk of Scripture, the life-story of Joseph. However, Jesus does not even come from the line of Joseph, but rather Jacob’s fourth son, Judah. Jesus is the Lion of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:8-12; Rev.5:5). In God’s sovereignty Joseph goes from slavery to second-in-command in Egypt so that many are saved in famine, in particular his family and his brother Judah. This story is ultimately not centered on Joseph, but God’s purposes in redemptive history to prepare the way for Christ Jesus.

• In realizing this of this story, how should we now consider our life stories?