LESSON 13 *June 18–24
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 46; Rom. 10:12, 13; Genesis 47; Genesis 48; Acts 3:25, 26; Genesis 49;
Phil. 2:10; Gen. 49:29–50:21.
Memory Text: “So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had
possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly” (Genesis 47:27, NKJV).
Genesis covers the last years of Jacob and Joseph together. We see Jacob (Israel) leave Canaan (Genesis 46) in
order to settle in Egypt (Genesis 47), and there he will die (Gen. 49:29–50:21). And yet, even in this Egyptian
setting, the prospect of the Promised Land still looms large in the background (Gen. 50:22–26).
As soon as Jacob arrives in Egypt, Jacob blesses Pharaoh (Gen. 47:7–10), thus fulfilling (partially, of course) the
Abrahamic promise to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:3). Later, about to die, Jacob blesses Joseph’s sons
(Genesis 48). Jacob also blesses his own sons (Gen. 49:1–28) and makes impressive predictions concerning each of
them in the context of the future 12 tribes of Israel (Gen. 49:1–27).
The fact, however, that Israel “dwells” in exile, in Egypt as strangers, is in tension with the hope of the
Promised Land. And though the book of Genesis itself ends with the children of Israel in Egypt, some of the last
words of Joseph point to another place: “ ‘I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land
to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob’ ” (Gen. 50:24, NKJV).
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 25.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, June 18
Lesson 13 - Israel in Egypt
On account of the service that Joseph had rendered the Egyptian nation, [the children of Jacob] were not only
granted a part of the country as a home, but were exempted from taxation, and liberally supplied with food during
the continuance of the famine. The king publicly acknowledged that it was through the merciful interposition of
the God of Joseph that Egypt enjoyed plenty while other nations were perishing from famine. He saw, too, that
Joseph’s management had greatly enriched the kingdom, and his gratitude surrounded the family of Jacob with
royal favor.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 241.
The dealings of God with His people should be often repeated. How frequently were the waymarks set up by
the Lord in His dealings with ancient Israel! Lest they should forget the history of the past, He commanded Moses
to frame these events into song, that parents might teach them to their children. They were to gather up
memorials and to lay them up in sight. Special pains were taken to preserve them, that when the children should
inquire concerning these things, the whole story might be repeated. Thus the providential dealings and the
marked goodness and mercy of God in His care and deliverance of His people were kept in mind. We are exhorted
to call to “remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of
afflictions.” Hebrews 10:32. For His people in this generation the Lord has wrought as a wonder-working God. The
past history of the cause of God needs to be often brought before the people, young and old. We need often to
recount God’s goodness and to praise Him for His wonderful
works.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 364, 365.
In the providence of God, we are daily brought into connection with the unconverted. By His own right hand
God is preparing the way before us, in order that His work may progress rapidly. As colaborers with Him, we
have a sacred work to do. We are to have travail of soul for those who are in high places; we are to extend to them
the gracious invitation to come to the marriage feast.
Although now almost wholly in the possession of wicked men, all the world, with its riches and treasures,
belongs to God. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” . . . O that Christians might realize more and
still more fully that it is their privilege and their duty, while cherishing right principles, to take advantage of every
heaven-sent opportunity for advancing God’s kingdom in this
world!—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 186.
SUNDAY June 19
Jacob Goes to Joseph
Read Genesis 46. What is the significance of Jacob’s departure from Canaan?
* Your notes will not be saved!
When Jacob leaves his place in Canaan, he is full of hope. The assurance that he will no longer be hungry and
the good news that Joseph is alive must have given him the momentum that he needed to leave the Promised
Land.
Jacob’s departure echoes the experience of Abraham, though in Abraham’s case he was heading to the
Promised Land. Jacob hears the same promise Abraham heard from God, namely that He will make him “a great
nation” (Gen. 46:3; compare with Gen. 12:2). God’s call here also is reminiscent of God’s covenant with Abraham; in
both occasions God uses the same reassuring words “ ‘do not fear’ ” (Gen. 46:3, NKJV; compare with Gen. 15:1),
which carry the promise of a glorious future.
The comprehensive listing of the names of the children of Israel who went to Egypt, including his daughters
(Gen. 46:7), recalls God’s promise of fruitfulness to Abraham even when he was still childless. The number
“seventy” (including Jacob, Joseph, and his two sons) expresses the idea of totality. It is “all Israel” that goes to
Egypt. It also is significant that the number 70 corresponds to the number of nations (Genesis 10), suggesting that
the destiny of all the nations also is at stake in Jacob’s journey.
This truth will become more evident only many years later, after the Cross and the fuller revelation of the
plan of salvation, which, of course, was for all humanity, everywhere, and not just for the children of Abraham.
In other words, however interesting the stories are regarding this family, the seed of Abraham, and whatever
spiritual lessons we can take from them—these accounts are in the Word of God because they are part of salvation
history; they are part of God’s plan to bring redemption to as many as possible on this fallen planet.
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call
upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved’ ” (Rom. 10:12, 13, NKJV). What
does Paul say here that shows the universality of the gospel? More important, what do these words
say to us regarding what we as a church should be doing to help spread the gospel?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, June 19
Jacob Goes to Joseph
Upon reaching Egypt the company proceeded directly to the land of Goshen. Thither came Joseph in his
chariot of state, attended by a princely retinue. The splendor of his surroundings and the dignity of his position
were alike forgotten; one thought alone filled his mind, one longing thrilled his heart. As he beheld the travelers
approaching, the love whose yearnings had for so many long years been repressed, would no longer be controlled.
He sprang from his chariot and hastened forward to bid his father welcome. “And he fell on his neck, and wept on
his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet
alive.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 233.
Pharaoh appreciated [Joseph’s] wisdom in the management of all things connected with the kingdom,
especially in the preparations for the long years of famine which came upon the land of Egypt. He felt that the
whole kingdom was indebted for their prosperity to the wise management of Joseph; and, as a token of his
gratitude, he said to Joseph, “The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren
to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. . . .”
“And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of
the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren,
and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their
families.”—The Story of Redemption, pp. 103, 104.
Though the Egyptians had so long rejected the knowledge of God, the Lord still gave them opportunity for
repentance. In the days of Joseph, Egypt had been an asylum for Israel; God had been honored in the kindness
shown His people; and now the long-suffering One, slow to anger, and full of compassion, gave each judgment
time to do its work; the Egyptians, cursed through the very objects they had worshiped, had evidence of the
power of Jehovah, and all who would, might submit to God and escape His
judgments.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 333.
Caste is hateful to God. He ignores everything of this character. In His sight the souls of all men are of equal
value. He “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined
the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might
feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.” Without distinction of age, or rank, or
nationality, or religious privilege, all are invited to come unto Him and live. . . . “There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free.” . . . “The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 17:26, 27; Galatians 3:28; Romans
10:11-13.—The Desire of Ages, p. 403.
MONDAY June 20
Jacob Settles in Egypt
It’s very interesting how, despite all that Jacob had been told about Joseph’s being alive in Egypt, the Lord
still gave him “visions of the night” (Gen. 46:2) and in them commanded him to leave. Jacob leaves the Land of
Promise for, of all places, Egypt—which later becomes associated with the one place that God’s people do not want
to go (Deut. 17:16).
Read Genesis 47. What spiritual truths and principles can we find in this account?
“Joseph took five of his brothers to present to Pharaoh and receive from him the grant of land for their future
home. Gratitude to his prime minister would have led the monarch to honor them with appointments to offices of
state; but Joseph, true to the worship of Jehovah, sought to save his brothers from the temptations to which they
would be exposed at a heathen court; therefore he counseled them, when questioned by the king, to tell him
frankly their occupation. The sons of Jacob followed this counsel, being careful also to state that they had come to
sojourn in the land, not to become permanent dwellers there, thus reserving the right to depart if they chose. The
king assigned them a home, as offered, in ‘the best of the land,’ the country of Goshen.”—Ellen G. White,
Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 233.
Wisely, too, Pharaoh does not encourage these sojourners to become beggars, living off the largess of their
host. He enquires about their “occupation” (Gen. 47:3, NKJV) in order that they may adjust better in their new
environment. He also is eager to use their expertise, and even suggests that they serve him as “chief herdsmen
over [his] livestock” (Gen. 47:6, NKJV).
Then, although Jacob, the foreigner, is the inferior, the stranger, he stands before the leader of the land, and,
as the text says, “Jacob blessed Pharaoh” (Gen. 47:7). He, the lowly stranger, is the one who blesses Pharaoh, the
ruler of mighty Egypt? Why should that be?
The verb ‘amad lifney, “set . . . before” (Gen. 47:7), is normally used in priestly contexts (Lev. 14:11).
Considering that in ancient Egypt the pharaoh had the status of the highest priest, this means that, in a spiri tual
sense, Jacob stands higher than the highest priest of Egypt, higher even than Pharaoh himself.
Whatever our station in life, what should it mean to us, in how we treat others, that we are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own
special people” (1 Pet. 2:9)? What obligations does our faith put on us?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, June 20
Jacob Settles in Egypt
Not long after their arrival Joseph brought his father also to be presented to the king. The patriarch was a
stranger in royal courts; but amid the sublime scenes of nature he had communed with a mightier Monarch; and
now, in conscious superiority, he raised his hands and blessed Pharaoh.
In his first greeting to Joseph, Jacob had spoken as if, with this joyful ending to his long anxiety and sorrow,
he was ready to die. But seventeen years were yet to be granted him in the peaceful retirement of Goshen. These
years were in happy contrast to those that had preceded them. He saw in his sons evidence of true repentance; he
saw his family surrounded by all the conditions needful for the development of a great nation; and his faith
grasped the sure promise of their future establishment in Canaan. He himself was surrounded with every token of
love and favor that the prime minister of Egypt could bestow; and happy in the society of his long-lost son, he
passed down gently and peacefully to the
grave.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 233.
The continuity of Christian influence is the secret of its power, and this depends on the steadfastness of your
manifestation of the character of Christ. Help those who have erred, by telling them of your experiences. Show
how, when you made grave mistakes, patience, kindness, and helpfulness on the part of your fellow workers gave
you courage and hope.
Until the judgment you will never know the influence of a kind, considerate course toward the inconsistent,
the unreasonable, the unworthy. When we meet with ingratitude and betrayal of sacred trusts, we are roused to
show our contempt or indignation. This the guilty expect; they are prepared for it. But kind forbearance takes
them by surprise and often awakens their better impulses and arouses a longing for a nobler
life.—The Ministry of Healing, pp. 494, 495.
The Laodicean message is applicable to the church at this time. Do you believe this message? Have you hearts
that feel? Or are you constantly saying, We are rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing? Is it in
vain that the declaration of eternal truth has been given to this nation to be carried to all the nations of the world?
God has chosen a people and made them the repositories of truth weighty with eternal results. To them has been
given the light that must illuminate the world. Has God made a mistake? Are we indeed His chosen
instrumentalities? Are we the men and women who are to bear to the world the messages of Revelation fourteen,
to proclaim the message of salvation to those who are standing on the brink of ruin? Do we act as if we were?
The Laodicean message applies to all who profess to keep the law of God, and yet are not doers of it. We are
not to be selfish in anything. Every phase of the Christian life is to be a representation of the life of Christ.—Ellen
G. White Comments, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 961, 962.
TUESDAY June 21
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
As Jacob approaches death, he remembers his earlier return to Bethel (Gen. 35:1–15), when he received from
God the renewed promise of the “everlasting possession” (Gen. 48:4) that was given to Abraham (Gen. 17:8). The
hope of the Promised Land is, therefore, a comforting thought that nurtures his hope as he feels death coming.
Jacob turns, then, to Joseph’s two sons, who were born in Egypt, and blesses them, but does so in the context of
the future promise regarding his own seed.
Read Genesis 48. Why did Jacob bless Joseph’s two sons here, and not his other grandsons?
Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, are the only grandsons that Jacob blessed. They are thus elevated
from the status of grandsons to the status of sons (Gen. 48:5). Although Jacob’s blessing implies a preeminence of
the second (Ephraim) over the first (Manasseh), Jacob’s blessing essentially concerns Joseph (Gen. 48:15).
What we see here is a personal testimony about God’s faithfulness to them in the past and His promise for
them in the future. Jacob refers to the God of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 48:15), who had provided food and
protection for them. He is the same God who “has redeemed me from all evil” (Gen. 48:16, NKJV). Jacob also has in
mind “the God of Bethel” (Gen. 31:13), with whom he wrestled (Gen. 32:29) and who changed his name from Jacob
to “Israel” (Gen. 32:26–29).
By referring to all these experiences where God turns the evil into good, Jacob expresses his hope that not
only will God take care of the present lives of his grandsons, just as He cared for his own life and Joseph’s, but
Jacob also thinks of the future, when his descendants will return to Canaan. This hope is clear from his reference
to Shechem (Gen. 48:22), which not only is a piece of land that he had acquired (Gen. 33:19) but also is a place
where Joseph’s bones will be buried (Josh. 24:32) and where the land will be distributed to the tribes of Israel (Josh.
24:1). Even amid all that has happened, Jacob keeps in mind the promises of God, who said that through this
family “ ‘all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ ” (Gen 12:3, NKJV).
Read Acts 3:25, 26. According to Peter, how was this promise of Genesis 12:3 being fulfilled? How
have we, ourselves, received this blessing?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, June 21
Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons
As he felt death approaching, [Jacob] sent for Joseph. . . .
[An] important matter demanded attention; the sons of Joseph were to be formally instated among the
children of Israel. Joseph, coming for a last interview with his father, brought with him Ephraim and Manasseh. . .
. It was Joseph’s desire . . . that they should unite with their own people. He manifested his faith in the covenant
promise, in behalf of his sons renouncing all the honors that the court of Egypt offered, for a place among the
despised shepherd tribes, to whom had been entrusted the oracles of God.
Said Jacob, “Thy two sons, Ephraim, and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I
came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” They were to be adopted as his
own, and to become the heads of separate tribes. Thus one of the birthright privileges, which Reuben had
forfeited, was to fall to Joseph—a double portion in Israel. . . .
. . . As [Joseph’s sons] came nearer, the patriarch embraced and kissed them, solemnly laying his hands upon
their heads in benediction. Then he uttered the prayer, “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did
walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the
lads.” There was no spirit of self-dependence, no reliance upon human power or cunning now. God had been his
preserver and support. There was no complaint of the evil days in the past. Its trials and sorrows were no longer
regarded as things that were “against” him. Memory recalled only His mercy and loving-kindness who had been
with him throughout his pilgrimage.
The blessing ended, Jacob gave his son the assurance—leaving for the generations to come, through long years
of bondage and sorrow, this testimony to his faith—“Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again
unto the land of your fathers.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 234, 235.
The hope of Israel was embodied in the promise made at the time of the call of Abraham, and afterward
repeated again and again to his posterity, “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3. As the
purpose of God for the redemption of the race was unfolded to Abraham, the Sun of Righteousness shone upon
his heart, and his darkness was scattered. And when, at last, the Saviour Himself walked and talked among the
sons of men, He bore witness to the Jews of the patriarch’s bright hope of deliverance through the coming of a
Redeemer. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day,” Christ declared; “and he saw it, and was glad.” John
8:56.—Prophets and Kings, p. 683.
WEDNESDAY June 22
Jacob Blesses His Sons
Read Genesis 49:1–28. What is the spiritual significance of Jacob’s blessing on his sons?
Beyond the prophecies concerning the immediate history of the tribes of Israel, Jacob sees the Messiah and
the ultimate hope of salvation. This hope already is indicated in Jacob’s opening words that use the expression “in
the last days” (Gen. 49:1), a technical expression that refers to the coming of the Messianic King (Isa. 2:2, Dan.
10:14).
The text then goes through the future line of each of these men. These are not predestinated fates, as if God
willed that each of these would face what they faced; rather, they are expressions of what their characters and the
characters of their children would bring about. God’s knowing, for instance, that someone will kill an innocent
man is a radically different thing from God’s having willed that the killer do it.
Read Genesis 49:8–12. What prophecy is given here, and why is it important?
Over and above human free will, God does know the future, and He had arranged that it would be through
Judah that the Messiah would come. Judah (Gen. 49:8–12), who is represented by a lion (Gen. 49:9), refers to
royalty and praise. Judah will not only produce King David, but also the Shiloh; that is, the One who will bring
shalom, “peace” (Isa. 9:6, 7), to Him “shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen. 49:10, NKJV).
The Jews have long seen this as a Messianic prophecy pointing to the coming Messiah, and Christians, too,
have seen this text as pointing to Jesus. “Unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:10), which is,
perhaps, a precursor to the New Testament promise “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Phil. 2:10).
As Ellen G. White wrote: “The lion, king of the forest, is a fitting symbol of this tribe, from which came
David, and the Son of David, Shiloh, the true ‘Lion of the tribe of Judah,’ to whom all powers shall finally bow and
all nations render homage.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 236.
Why should we be rendering homage to Jesus now, even before all nations will do it?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, June 22
Jacob Blesses His Sons
At the last all the sons of Jacob were gathered about his dying bed. And Jacob called unto his sons, and said,
“Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father,” “that I may tell you
that which shall befall you in the last days.” Often and anxiously he had thought of their future, and had
endeavored to picture to himself the history of the different tribes. Now as his children waited to receive his last
blessing the Spirit of Inspiration rested upon him, and before him in prophetic vision the future of his descendants
was unfolded. One after another the names of his sons were mentioned, the character of each was described, and
the future history of the tribes was briefly foretold. . . .
The priesthood was apportioned to Levi, the kingdom and the Messianic promise to Judah, and the double
portion of the inheritance to Joseph. The tribe of Reuben never rose to any eminence in Israel; it was not so
numerous as Judah, Joseph, or Dan, and was among the first that were carried into
captivity.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 235.
Jacob had ever been a man of deep and ardent affection; his love for his sons was strong and tender, and his
dying testimony to them was not the utterance of partiality or resentment. He had forgiven them all, and he loved
them to the last. His paternal tenderness would have found expression only in words of encouragement and hope;
but the power of God rested upon him, and under the influence of Inspiration he was constrained to declare the
truth, however painful.
The last blessings pronounced, Jacob repeated the charge concerning his burial place: “I am to be gathered
unto my people: bury me with my fathers . . . in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah.” “There they buried
Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.” Thus the last
act of his life was to manifest his faith in God’s
promise.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 237.
Not all in this world have taken sides with the enemy against God. Not all have become disloyal. There are a
faithful few who are true to God; for John writes: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the
faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12. Soon the battle will be waged fiercely between those who serve God and those
who serve Him not. Soon everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things that cannot be shaken
may remain. . . .
. . . God’s tried and tested people will find their power in the sign spoken of in Exodus 31:12-18. They are to
take their stand on the living word: “It is written.” This is the only foundation upon which they can stand
securely. Those who have broken their covenant with God will in that day be without God and without hope.
The worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the fourth commandment, since
this is the sign of God’s creative power and the witness to His claim upon man’s reverence and
homage.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, pp. 15, 16.
THURSDAY June 23
The Hope of the Promised Land
Read Genesis 49:29–50:21. What great themes of hope are found in the conclusion of the book of
Genesis?
The conclusion of Genesis is made up of three events that are filled with hope.
First, there is the hope that Israel will return to the Promised Land. Moses, the author of Genesis, describes
Jacob’s and Joseph’s deaths and burials as events pointing to the Promised Land. Immediately after his blessing
and prophecy on the “twelve tribes of Israel” (Gen. 49:28), Jacob thinks of his death and charges his sons to bury
him in Canaan, at the cave of Machpelah, where Sarah was buried (Gen. 49:29–31). The narrative describing the
funeral procession toward Canaan becomes a precursor to the exodus from Egypt several centuries later.
Second, there is the hope that God will turn evil into good. After Jacob’s death and burial, Joseph’s brothers
are worried about their future. They are afraid that Joseph will now take his revenge. They come to Joseph and
prostrate themselves before him, ready to become his servants (Gen. 50:18), a scenario that is reminiscent of
Joseph’s prophetic dreams. Joseph reassures them and tells them to “ ‘not be afraid’ ” (Gen. 50:19, NKJV), a phrase
that refers to the future (Gen. 15:1); because what was “ ‘meant evil’ ” against him, “God meant . . . for good” (Gen.
50:20, NKJV), and turned the course of events toward salvation (Gen. 50:19–21; compare with Gen. 45:5, 7–9). That
is, even despite so many human failures, God’s providence will overrule.
Third, there is the hope that God will save fallen humankind. The story of Joseph’s death in this last verse of
Genesis is broader than just about his death. Strangely, Joseph does not command to have his bones buried.
Instead he points to the time when “ ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here’ ” (Gen.
50:25, NKJV), which they did, many years later, in direct obedience to those words (see Exod. 13:19). Ultimately, the
hope of the Promised Land, Canaan, is a symbol, a precursor, to the ultimate hope of salvation, of restoration, of a
New Jerusalem in a new heaven and a new earth—the ultimate hope for all of us, a hope made certain by the death
of Shiloh.
Read Revelation 21:1–4. How do these verses represent the grandest hope that we have? Without this
promise, what hope do we have other than death alone as the end of all our problems?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, June 23
The Hope of the Promised Land
Jacob and his sons had brought their flocks and herds with them to Egypt, where they had greatly increased.
Before leaving Egypt, the people, by the direction of Moses, claimed a recompense for their unpaid labor; and the
Egyptians were too eager to be freed from their presence to refuse them. The bondmen went forth laden with the
spoil of their oppressors.
That day completed the history revealed to Abraham in prophetic vision centuries before: “Thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also
that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” Genesis
15:13, 14. [See appendix, note 3.] The four hundred years had been fulfilled. “And it came to pass the selfsame day,
that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.” In their departure from
Egypt the Israelites bore with them a precious legacy, in the bones of Joseph, which had so long awaited the
fulfillment of God’s promise, and which, during the dark years of bondage, had been a reminder of Israel’s
deliverance.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 281.
God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the
beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him.
All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard
to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds
discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall
know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying.
He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the
Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to
resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord’s permission, and “all things” that
are permitted “work together for good to them that love
God.”—The Faith I Live By, p. 64.
[The] hope of redemption through the advent of the Son of God as Saviour and King, has never become
extinct in the hearts of men. From the beginning there have been some whose faith has reached out beyond the
shadows of the present to the realities of the future. Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob—through these and other worthies the Lord has preserved the precious revealings of His will. And it
was thus that to the children of Israel, the chosen people through whom was to be given to the world the
promised Messiah, God imparted a knowledge of the requirements of His law, and of the salvation to be
accomplished through the atoning sacrifice of His beloved
Son.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 682, 683.
FRIDAY June 24
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “Joseph and His Brothers,” pp. 233–240, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
“The life of Joseph illustrates the life of Christ. It was envy that moved the brothers of Joseph to sell him as a
slave; they hoped to prevent him from becoming greater than themselves. And when he was carried to Egypt, they
flattered themselves that they were to be no more troubled with his dreams, that they had removed all possibility
of their fulfillment. But their own course was overruled by God to bring about the very event that they designed
to hinder. So the Jewish priests and elders were jealous of Christ, fearing that He would attract the attention of the
people from them. They put Him to death, to prevent Him from becoming king, but they were thus bringing about
this very result.
“Joseph, through his bondage in Egypt, became a savior to his father’s family; yet this fact did not lessen the
guilt of his brothers. So the crucifixion of Christ by His enemies made Him the Redeemer of mankind, the Savior
of the fallen race, and Ruler over the whole world; but the crime of His murderers was just as heinous as though
God’s providential hand had not controlled events for His own glory and the good of man.
“As Joseph was sold to the heathen by his own brothers, so Christ was sold to His bitterest enemies by one of
His disciples. Joseph was falsely accused and thrust into prison because of his virtue; so Christ was despised and
rejected because His righteous, self-denying life was a rebuke to sin; and though guilty of no wrong, He was
condemned upon the testimony of false witnesses. And Joseph’s patience and meekness under injustice and
oppression, his ready forgiveness and noble benevolence toward his unnatural brothers, represent the Savior’s
uncomplaining endurance of the malice and abuse of wicked men, and His forgiveness, not only of His murderers,
but of all who have come to Him confessing their sins and seeking pardon.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and
Prophets, pp. 239, 240.
Discussion Questions:
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1. Once Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feared that now Joseph would get revenge. What does this teach about the guilt that they still
harbored? What does Joseph’s reaction teach us about forgiveness for the guilty?
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2. What other parallels can you find between the lives of Joseph and Jesus?
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3. Dwell on the fact that although God intimately knows the future, we are still free in the choices we make. How do we reconcile
these two ideas?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, June 24
For Further Reading
This Day With God, “Set Your Affections on Heaven,” p. 290;
My Life Today, “Doubt Not,” p. 185.
