23

Family Reconciliation: Repentance &

Responsibility
Genesis 43:1—45:15
What makes reconciliation possible? What elements are necessary on each side of a hurt or
wrong in order to heal a damaged relationship? This study suggests answers for these
crucial questions.
GROUP DISCUSSION. In our world where do you see the greatest need for reconciliation?

PERSONAL REFLECTION. In your life where do you feel a need for reconciliation?

Joseph’s brothers have now returned home from Egypt with a report of their traumatic
experience. As the grain purchased on the first visit to Egypt runs out, Jacob and his sons
face increasingly difficult decisions. Although our experience may be less traumatic, we can
learn principles of reconciliation from this complex family situation. Read Genesis 43.
1. As the famine intensifies, what pressures does it put on Jacob and his sons (43:1-10)?

2. What impresses you about Jacob as he sends his sons off (43:11-14)?

3. Think of a difficult situation you are currently facing. How can you trust it to God Almighty,
the one for whom nothing is impossible?

4. In 43:15-25 how do the brothers interpret Joseph’s intentions?

5. What insights into Joseph’s character do you see in 43:26-34?

6. Read Genesis 44. What final strategy does Joseph devise, and how does it test the
brothers’ character and loyalty (44:1-17)?

7. What does Judah’s attitude in 44:18-34 show about the changes that have taken place in
him and his brothers since their betrayal of Joseph twenty-three years earlier?

8. Restoring a relationship fractured by injustice and injury requires repentance, confession

and acceptance of responsibility for the consequences. In what way have you, like Joseph’s
brothers, been involved in such a process?

9. Read Genesis 45:1-15. How does Joseph explain to his brothers the reason for his being
sold into Egypt and the purpose of his sufferings?

10. How can this perspective toward your own suffering make it possible for you to forgive
someone who has grievously hurt you?
11. To what extent can Joseph’s experience give us greater confidence in God’s sovereignty
over the events of our lives?

Ask God to give you the will to forgive one person in your life who has hurt you.

Now or Later
What other attitudes and actions might Joseph have shown to his brothers? Reflect on his
choice to forgive and see God’s hand at work in the circumstances of his life.

Study 23. Genesis 43:1—45:15.

Leaders Notes
Purpose: To reflect on those elements which are necessary to achieve reconciliation.

Question 1. At this point Joseph is about forty and Benjamin at least thirty years old. It was
Judah who proposed that Joseph be sold into slavery.

Question 2. “God Almighty” (El-Shaddai) is a title specially connected with the covenant
God made with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:1).

Question 5. The Egyptians’ prejudice against eating with Hebrews was probably cultic since
foreigners would technically defile the food. This attitude was evident later in Jewish refusal
to eat with Gentiles.
Note in 43:28 the fulfilment of Joseph’s boyhood dreams (Gen 37:6-11).

Question 6. Have volunteers for the parts of narrator, Joseph, the stewards, Judah and the
brothers read aloud chapter 44.

The drama now reaches its climax in the desperate situation carefully contrived by Joseph
as a final test for his brothers. Since Joseph’s silver cup has Egyptian religious significance
(it is a divining goblet), its theft is all the more serious.
When Judah begs to take Benjamin’s place, it is clear that the animosity between Rachel
and Leah’s sons is over. Jacob’s sons would prefer Egyptian slavery to breaking their
father’s heart.

Question 9. Chapter 45 is the climax of the story of Joseph. It is a beautiful example of

God’s sovereignty.
 24
Jacob in Egypt: God Preserves His People
Genesis 45:16—47:31
Do you ever wonder how the bits and pieces of your life fit together? Seeing God at work in
the Bible can strengthen our faith and hope as we work through difficult situations we cannot
understand.

GROUP DISCUSSION.
What prayer request are you patiently waiting for God to fulfil?

PERSONAL REFLECTION. Reflect on some promise that sustains you as you wait for God
to work in a specific way.

This study shows how the seemingly unrelated and perplexing events of the preceding
chapters now serve God’s purpose during the famine. Read Genesis 45:16—46:27.
1. What is Pharaoh’s reaction to the news that Joseph’s brothers have arrived (45:16-24)?

2. What would this mean to the brothers, with their burden of guilt and fear?

3. Describe Jacob’s reaction to the astounding news his sons bring back from Egypt
(45:25-28).

4. How does God encourage Jacob in the present and for the future (46:1-4)?

5. When has God allowed you to see how seemingly unrelated events fit into the tapestry of
his will for you?

6. How does 46:5-27 underscore God’s faithfulness to the promises he made to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob?

7. Read Genesis 46:28—47:12. In what ways does Joseph’s skill as a planner and
administrator continue to be demonstrated as he arranges for his father’s family (46:28-34)?

8. Describe the encounter of Joseph’s brothers with Pharaoh (47:1-6).

9. What impresses you about Jacob, so recently in despair and ready to die, in his interview
with Pharaoh (47:7-10)?

10. Read Genesis 47:13-31. How does Joseph’s continuing strategy save the lives of the
Egyptians (47:13-26)?

11. In what ways does Jacob’s last request of Joseph show his faith in God’s promise
regarding his descendants and their own land (47:27-31)?
12. How can Joseph’s story help you trust God in perplexing areas of your life?

Thank God that he is faithful and always keeps his promises.

Now or Later

What is your attitude right now regarding your particular circumstances? Spend time praying
or journaling about this.
 Study 24. Genesis 45:16—47:31.
Leaders Notes
Purpose: To recognize that seemingly unrelated and perplexing events can fit into
the tapestry of God’s purposes for us.
Question 1. Note the realism and humor in 45:24 as Joseph sends his brothers off
with the instruction, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”
Question 3. Beersheba had been Isaac’s center of worship.
In offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac, Jacob acknowledges the family
calling and apparently is desiring permission to move out of Canaan. His attitude
differs markedly from that of his grandfather Abraham in going to Egypt (Gen
12:10-20). This vision adds a new detail to the old promise at Bethel: the growth to
nationhood will take place in Egypt (Gen 15:13).
Question 6. If you are short on time, you can summarize the genealogy in chapter
46, noting that the list of Jacob’s family is arranged into the Leah and Rachel groups.
Judah’s family history has already appeared in chapter 38.
Question 7. Have volunteers for the roles of narrator, Israel, Joseph, Pharaoh and
the five brothers read aloud 46:28—47:12.
Question 8. Egyptian antipathy toward shepherds is typical of town-dwellers’ attitude
to nomads. Joseph uses this antipathy to secure, with Pharaoh’s blessing, this
geographically isolated area to protect the family from the influence of mainstream
Egyptian life. This isolation, combined with a belief that they would eventually return
to Canaan, enabled Israel to maintain its national language, traditions and customs
during the centuries of bondage.
Question 10. Modern readers tend to view Joseph’s dealing with the hungry
Egyptians as cruel exploitation. Why did he not give them food instead of demanding
that they exchange herds, land and personal freedom for grain? In the ancient world
it was regarded as an act of charity to buy the land of the destitute. Even taking them
as slaves meant that they would be provided for during the rest of their lives. The
positive Egyptian response to this action is revealed in 47:25.
Question 11. For an explanation of 47:29 see the note on question 1 of study 14.
 25
Jacob’s Blessing: The Life of Faith
Genesis 48-49
Our self-centered technological society seeks instant gratification and immediate results.
The “good life” emblazoned on television is measured by what we have and use now. The
elderly are usually considered obsolete rather than examples of how to live fully for the long
run. Yet they are a resource, teaching us valuable lessons about persevering in the life of
faith.
GROUP DISCUSSION. What older person has had an impact on your life and why?

PERSONAL REFLECTION. How do you picture yourself in old age?

This study views Jacob’s final days as he evaluates the past and looks into the future. Read
Genesis 48.
1. How will Jacob’s adoption of Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh affect their share in
the promises God made to Jacob (48:1-7)?

2. In what ways is Jacob’s faith evident as he blesses Ephraim and Manasseh (48:8-22)?

3. How does Jacob sum up the way God has dealt with him over the years?

4. Describe God in terms of the way he has been working in your life.

5. Read Genesis 49. In 49:1-7 how are the blessings given to Reuben, Simeon and Levi
related to their past actions (see Genesis 34; 35:22)?

6. Although our past failures and sins affect our future, how can God’s forgiveness and grace
help us triumph over these consequences?

7. What future does Jacob see for Judah in 49:8-12?

8. What characteristics of the Messiah’s reign does Jacob foretell?

9. After Jacob blesses six of his other sons in 49:13-21, how does the blessing he gives to
Joseph show awareness of all Joseph has been through (49:22-28)?

10. As you look at the names given to God in 49:24-25, which have special meaning for
you?

11. How do Jacob’s last words demonstrate the faith and hope with which he finishes the
course of his life (49:29-33)?
12. Looking back over Jacob’s life, what element provides an encouragement or challenge
for you?

In the words of an old hymn, “Praise him for all that is past, and trust him for all that’s to
come.”

Now or Later

Recall the events in Joseph’s life which illustrate the names of God in Genesis 49:24-25.
 Study 25. Genesis 48-49.
Leaders Notes
Purpose: To learn from Jacob the value of persevering in the life of faith.
Question 1. Have volunteers for the roles of narrator, Jacob and Joseph read aloud chapter
48.
Only in Joseph’s case does Jacob accept his grandchildren as if they were his own sons.
That they were born to an Egyptian mother is not regarded as any disqualification. When
Jacob says, “They are mine,” he is using an ancient formula for adoption.
Question 2. Jacob’s blessing is from the God who is (1) the God of his ancestors, (2) his
personal God who led him all his life long, (3) the God who appeared to him in three crisis
points: at Bethel, Paddan-aram and Peniel.
Hebrews 11:21 selects Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh as one of his most
outstanding acts of faith. It also commends Jacob’s faith in requesting that his body be
carried back to Canaan for burial: “‘Swear to me,’ he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and
Israel worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff” (Gen 47:31).
Question 3. One aspect of Jacob’s faith is seen in the names he uses to refer to God
(48:15-16). “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked” (v. 15) recalls
that the Lord steadied Jacob’s faith in many crises (28:13-15; 32:9; 46:3). Jacob’s long years
as a shepherd described in 31:38-40 made him appreciate God’s shepherding care for him
(v. 15). The term angel (v. 16) recalls God’s visible encounters with him at important turning
points, especially at Peniel (32:22-32).
Question 5. This chapter records the last of great declarations of destiny in Genesis. The
blessings and curses, promises and judgments, punctuate the narrative with a forward look
to Israel in the Promised Land.
Question 6. This is a difficult question, and its answer has far-reaching implications. God not
only forgives our past but redeems our future, conforming us to the image of his Son (Rom
8:28-30). Still we must wrestle with the consequences of past actions.
Question 7. It is from the line of Judah that Jesus the Messiah comes. Judah sounds like
the Hebrew word for “praise.”
Question 10. Jacob proclaims God to be the ruler of nature as well as history, even of “the
deep” (49:25), the personified ocean and rival of the gods in pagan myths. “Mighty One”
(49:24) describes God as the champion of Jacob and Joseph. “Almighty” (49:25) is used of
God in connection with his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 25
Joseph’s Final Years: Forgiveness, Love & Hope
Genesis 50
Like a fine painting or sculpture, God’s work takes time. But its result is a tribute to the artist.
When you look back at even your recent past, you may be able to see God’s work beginning
to take shape.
GROUP DISCUSSION. Think of someone who has injured you. What is your attitude toward
that person?

PERSONAL REFLECTION. What barriers in your life have kept you from forgiveness and
reconciliation?

The previous studies have shown how God used years of hardship and suffering to produce
in Joseph a spiritual maturity unsurpassed in the Old Testament. In this final chapter of
Genesis we see how his life reflects the character of God. Joseph provides a model for the
way we should relate to God and others. Read Genesis 50.
1. How are Joseph’s love and respect for his father evident (vv. 1-14)?

2. What light does this ceremony throw on Joseph’s authority and prestige in Egypt?

3. Describe the reaction of the brothers after their father’s burial, and the strategy they
devise to protect themselves (vv. 15-18).

4. Why do you think Joseph reacts as he does (v. 17)?

5. What is his explanation of what has happened to him (vv. 19-20)?

6. How can Joseph’s example help you deal with unfair treatment in your own life?

7. How does Joseph show his brothers that he not only forgives but genuinely loves them (v.
21)?

8. If you have been wronged by someone, what action may God want you to take—beyond
the usual “forgive and forget” attitude—to demonstrate a loving concern for that person’s
welfare?

9. How are Joseph’s final years and words in verses 22-26 similar to his father’s?

10. As you look back over this chapter, how do you see Joseph demonstrating the qualities
of forgiveness, love and hope?

11. How has your vision of God been enlarged through your study of Genesis?
12. What has God shown you through this study that will stay with you?

Take time to thank God for his goodness, grace and faithfulness in each generation,
including your own.

Now or Later

In the Genesis narrative we have seen that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died in faith, looking
forward to promises they did not see fulfilled in their lifetime. How does their example
provide a model for our hope as Christians?

Study 26. Genesis 50.

Leaders Notes
Purpose: To look at Joseph’s example of forgiveness, love and hope.

Question 1. The burying place for the patriarchs continues to be prominent in the narrative.
It represents the family’s one remaining stake in the Promised Land, the only property it will
own there for the next four centuries.

Question 3. This apparently fictitious story and the arms-length approach, in addition to his
brothers’ lack of trust in him, undoubtedly grieved Joseph.

Question 9. In Egypt 110 years was considered the ideal life span. This action was a further
testimony to the Egyptian people that Joseph’s commitment was to the true God.

Question 11. Often we hear that the God of the Old Testament is a God of judgement,
whereas the New Testament (in the person of Jesus Christ) reveals a God of love and
mercy. But throughout Genesis we have seen God’s judgement coupled with his nurture,
mercy and grace.

The patriarchal period both opens (12:2-3) and closes with the note of hope epitomized by
Joseph’s last words in verse 24. Genesis ends with the close of the formative period of
Israel’s history. In Exodus the great national drama begins to unfold.