THIS MONTH’S BIBLICAL THEME IS: God is a Promise Maker
Throughout Genesis, God continually made promises that affirmed His covenantal commitment to His people. Despite their repeated sin, God promised to send the ultimate Rescuer to save humanity and restore the perfect relationship that Adam and Eve shared with God in the garden.
Joseph and His Brothers (Genesis 42-45)
After his brothers sold him into slavery and he landed in prison, Joseph ended up second in command of all of Egypt. He was put in charge of preparing food for a coming famine. His brothers came to get food for their families. They didn’t recognize Joseph. He tested them before revealing who he was. The brothers were terrified Joseph would punish them, but Joseph told them that what they intended for evil, God used for good. The family was reunited and the brothers learned that God had used Joseph’s terrible circumstances to save the people.
Joseph’s story and Jesus’s story have many things in common. Joseph was treated badly and accused of things he didn’t do. God used his situation to save the people. Jesus also was mistreated and accused of wrong things that He didn’t do. Jesus died on the cross for our sins to save all people. God is the Redeemer. He redeemed Joseph’s story by taking the ugly parts and using them for good. God redeemed the ugliness of the cross and made a beautiful way for us to go to heaven. Joseph and Jesus had similar stories, but they are not the same. Jesus is God. Joseph was just a man. God used the story of Joseph to show that He was a Redeemer from the very beginning. Jesus came to be the ultimate Redeemer and save us from our sins.
