Commentary on Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26

International Bible Lessons
Sunday, January 29, 2012

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, January 29, 2012, is from Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For lesson background, class discussion, or to begin or close your class, read the International Bible Lesson, for January 29, 2012, to your class God’s Way of Preventing Diseases, based on Exodus 15:26, “God said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you’”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Exodus 15:1-3

(Exodus 15:1)  Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.

After the LORD led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea on dry ground (after rolling back the waters), He destroyed the Egyptian soldiers after Pharaoh ordered them to pursue the Israelites and bring them back to Egypt as slaves. God triumphed over horse and rider when He allowed the waters that He had parted for the Israelites to roll back and destroy the Egyptian army. The Hebrews never forgot, and never failed to remind their children, of God’s glorious victory over their enemies. What God did for His obedient children, He would not do for the enemies of His children.

(Exodus 15:2)  The LORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Today, God is the same in character and nature as He was in the days of Moses. As children of God, we can sing this same song of praise and thanksgiving for all that God has done and continues to do for us. Believers in the LORD need to affirm the truths of this song from the bottom of their hearts to others—that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8). God has proved himself worthy of our praise and thanks both from what we know from the Bible and our own experiences. He is worthy to exalt before others, as the Hebrews did here, that others may come to know God as their strength and salvation too.

(Exodus 15:3)  The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.

The Old Testament reveals some of the ways that God fights against His enemies and those who attack His children. The New Testament shows how demonic powers fight against God’s people, and how Jesus Christ battles and defeats these evil powers. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The LORD can conquer His enemies and ours, whether physical or spiritual, as we see Him doing in the Old and New Testaments.

Exodus 15:19

(Exodus 15:19)  When the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his chariot drivers went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.

The song describes exactly how God won the victory over Pharaoh, his army, and the false gods of Egypt. Evil spiritual powers inspired the Egyptians to worship their idols, and their idols proved powerless to save them. Whereas God is worthy to receive our honor and praise, the false gods of this world are unworthy and eventually fail to deliver on the false promises they make to their devotees. The Bible very specifically teaches how God saves or punishes in human history. We need to make our praises and thanksgivings to God very specific so people can learn the reasons God is worthy to be praised, just as we learn more about God from this song of praise and the psalms in the Old Testament.

Exodus 15:22-26

(Exodus 15:22)  Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

The Bible shows that people must trust in God in the good times of great victory and during the times of privation and uncertainty from living in this world. God was with the Hebrews in times of plenty and privation, just as He is with all of His children today. God expected the Israelites to trust Him and the leader He had provided to guide and teach them. They would encounter difficulties, but would they keep trusting God to bring about a good outcome as they approached the Promised Land and the challenges before them?

(Exodus 15:23)  When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah.

After being thirsty for three days, the Israelites came to some bitter water. The water at Marah was known to always be bitter, for that is how it got its name. If God could part the Red Sea to save them, which He did, He could easily make bitter water sweet to the taste and thirst quenching. God can change any bitter situation in which we find ourselves, no matter how bitter it is. The question we must ask is whether we are going to complain or take our problem to God in prayer and trust.

(Exodus 15:24)  And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

God’s leaders must deal with the complaints of God’s children against God and themselves. Instead of turning to God in prayer, whom they had just seen part the Red Sea, the Israelites were too spiritually immature to depend on God to give them good water to drink when they needed it. They made Moses responsible for their problems; and as their leader, Moses leaned on God and learned what to do.

(Exodus 15:25)  He cried out to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test.

Moses followed the solution of a spiritually mature person who knew God, he prayed. God did not work a miracle apart from Moses; rather, God showed Moses what to do and Moses obeyed and God worked a miracle. By his obedience, Moses demonstrated his faith. Through miracles, God continued to raise up Moses as a worthy leader over His people, a leader who could be trusted, when God worked a miracle through a simple piece of wood thrown in faith. Then, God made a rule for His children to follow and He would test them to see if they had learned enough about God to follow His rules.

(Exodus 15:26)  He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”

Some diseases result from bad choices and behaviors forbidden by God and the way He created us to live. We see this more clearly today, because we know how some diseases are transmitted through germs. Risky behavior can result in the risk of disease. Sometimes, innocent children and others suffer from diseases spread to them by others. The Israelites did not have the science to know what we know today about different causes of disease. They did not have the medicines that some believe will take the risk of disease out of risky behavior. But, if they [and we] would obey the LORD, then diseases spread from sinful behavior would not infect them.

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. Read Exodus 15:2 again. Moses gives praise to God for many reasons. How many of these truths about God can you affirm from your own experience? What additional truths can you affirm about God from both the Bible and your experience?

2. How do your beliefs about God from the Bible and your experience make a difference when you face various challenges, opportunities, and problems in your daily life?

3. How do you think most people outside of the church would feel (or would respond) if you told them that your faith in God included the fact that “The LORD is a warrior”? How might people inside the church feel or respond if you told them you believed this fact about God?

4. Do you think it is still important to think of God as a warrior and teach about God ruling the universe as a warrior? Compare this fact about God with the words of the hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” [Since the words to this hymn may not be easily available to you, I have printed them below.]

5. What should church members say or do when they think God or their leaders have not lived up to their expectations?

ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
Words by Sabine Baring-Gould written in 1865
For Use In Question 4 Above

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Refrain

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Refrain

What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believèd, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.

Refrain

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Refrain

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

Refrain

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Commentary on Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further

[Easy to Print: Teacher Study Hints On Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Teacher Study Hints On Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26]

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26
Verse By Verse GNB Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26
Verse By Verse NRSV Exodus 15:1-3,19,22-26

[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons Commentary]
[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons]
[Bible Lessons Archives from 2007-2012 at the original: InternationalBibleLessons.com]

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Nook Reader and in Paperback:
How to Pray in the Spirit: Devotional Readings [John Bunyan / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Kindle Reader and in Paperback:
How to Pray in the Spirit: Devotional Readings [John Bunyan / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

— © Copyright 2012 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

Commentary on Genesis 50:15-26

International Bible Lessons
Sunday, January 22, 2012

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, January 22, 2012, is from Genesis 50:15-26. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For class discussion, or to begin or close your class, read the International Bible Lesson, for January 22, 2012, to your class The Way Beyond Forgiving, based on Genesis 50:21, “[Joseph answered his brothers], ‘So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.’ In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 50:15-26

(Genesis 50:15)  Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?”

Eventually, Jacob died and Joseph’s brothers still felt fear and guilt for their mistreatment of Joseph. In spite of Joseph’s previous assurances, they feared he still might punish them for selling him into slavery. As second-in-command to Pharaoh, Joseph could easily imprison them or even execute them for what they had done. It is often difficult for people to accept the fact that God or someone else has truly forgiven them and will not punish them or hold resentment against them.

(Genesis 50:16)  So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died,

It appears Joseph’s brothers must have finally confessed to Jacob how they had sold Joseph into slavery and had lied about it to their father, making him suffer for years until Joseph reappeared in Egypt. Or, Joseph may have explained everything to Jacob. Joseph’s brothers knew they had done wrong, a wrong so grievous that they knew they deserved punishment and they wanted to escape it. Knowing human nature and their own spiritual condition to a certain extent, they could not believe that Joseph could forgive them as easily as it appeared to them. Therefore, they turned to telling a lie once again.

(Genesis 50:17)  ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

Here again, we learn that Joseph’s brothers knew that they had committed a crime against Joseph, or perhaps Jacob had told them that what they had done had been a crime, a breaking of the law of both God and man, that deserved punishment. Perhaps if they had received just punishment immediately from Joseph, instead of forgiveness, their crime would not have remained on their guilty conscience and they would not have feared future punishment. Now, through a lie, they seek Joseph’s assurance of forgiveness once again. Perhaps because they were telling a falsehood, they could not call themselves “the servants of our God,” but instead called themselves, “the servants of the God of your father (Jacob).” We might wonder why Joseph wept when he heard them, perhaps he wept from recalling the memory of his recently deceased  father and the reconciliation with his brothers years earlier.

(Genesis 50:18)  Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.”

In this verse, we see the dreams of Joseph fulfilled once again explicitly.  They had sold him into slavery, and now they were willing to become his slaves. Joseph’s dreams were not his aspirations to be a great success above his brothers and rule over them, but a revelation from God about His future for Joseph. When Joseph told his dreams to his brothers and father (beginning when he was about 17), his dreams probably appeared to his brothers as the aspirations of a son their father favored above them, not as divine prophecies, so they hated him and could not speak kindly to him (Genesis 37).

(Genesis 50:19)  But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God?

Joseph stood in the place of Pharaoh above his brothers, but he remained humble and refused to stand in the place of God over them and met out any punishment upon them—no matter how much everyone knew they deserved to be punished. Joseph would not pass judgment upon them as God might. Joseph refused to take the place of the King of the universe over his brothers. Joseph chose to leave their punishment to God (if God chose to punish them); however, they had repented of the evil they had done to him, and hopefully they had asked God to forgive them too.

(Genesis 50:20)  Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.

From his early dreams, the dreams he had told his brothers, Joseph could look back with hindsight and see how God intended to bring him to Egypt to save the lives of numerous people. He also knew and acknowledged before his brothers that they had intended to do him harm; yet, he forgave them (he had forgiven them years earlier; see Genesis 45:5, 7). In a similar way, God intended for Jesus to die on the cross to save a far more numerous people over centuries of time, but those involved in Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion intended to do Jesus harm. Even though their intentions were evil, Joseph forgave his brothers, and Jesus looked down from the cross and said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing (Luke 23:34). God can bring good out of the evil intentions and actions of others (see Romans 8:28).

(Genesis 50:21)  So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Not only did Joseph forgive his brothers and speak kindly to them, but he also planned to do them positive good and care for them (a sign of his spiritual maturity). In a similar way, when Jesus Christ forgives repentant sinners who trust in His forgiveness, He also gives them the gift of eternal life, the power to live a holy life, and hears their prayers.  Joseph literally did good to those who had persecuted him, and he blessed them, exactly as Jesus has taught us to do (see Matthew 5:9-12). Perfect love casts out fear, and Joseph’s love for his brothers cast their fears of him out of their minds (see 1 John 4:18). In this same way, the perfect love of God for us (that He has expressed for us so dramatically in the gift of His Son) casts out our fears of God.

(Genesis 50:22)  So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s household; and Joseph lived one hundred ten years.

Even after the years of plenty and famine had ended, Joseph and his brothers remained in Egypt rather than return to Canaan. If God had led Joseph to return after the famine, they would have obediently returned. Instead, Joseph continued to rule over the land (having successfully taken Egypt through the famine) and his family lived in a privileged position (perhaps with his children and grandchildren taking some leadership positions in the Egyptian government—we do not know.

(Genesis 50:23)  Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation; the children of Machir son of Manasseh were also born on Joseph’s knees.

Ephraim was Joseph’s second born son; however, he received the blessing of the first born son from Jacob (who also was a second born son, but who received the firstborn blessing of his father, Isaac—though Jacob deceived Isaac, Jacob was not deceived when he blessed Ephraim). Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh into his family (see Genesis 41:52 and Genesis 48:14-20). Though there was never a tribe of Joseph, there were tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Joshua, who led the Hebrews into the Promised Land, was of the tribe of Ephraim.

(Genesis 50:24)  Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

As far as we know, Joseph did not live as long as his brothers. He reigned in Egypt as long as he lived, for he received the royal privilege of being embalmed. Joseph foretold the future once again, but he did not give them a timeline; however, God had told Abraham, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13). By keeping the Hebrews in Egypt and out of Canaan for this long, they would not be corrupted by those in Canaan who became increasingly evil: “And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:16). At that time, a generation was about one hundred years.

(Genesis 50:25)  So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, “When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here.”

Joseph knew for a fact that God would fulfill His promises to Abraham (see above), and to Isaac and Jacob. God would give them the Promised Land according to His perfect timing. Joseph wanted his bones buried in the Promised Land, as he had buried Jacob in the Promised Land, but only after the Hebrews left Egypt to possess the land of God’s promise. They were not to take him back as they had taken Jacob (see Genesis 50:1-12). His bones (in a coffin and probably in a prominent place because of his high position in Pharaoh’s court) would serve as a visual reminder to succeeding generations of God’s promise and Joseph’s request. Moses did exactly as Joseph requested (see Exodus 13:19).

(Genesis 50:26)  And Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old; he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

According to the practices of the Egyptians, Jacob and Joseph were both embalmed (as was the custom for royalty); otherwise, people are buried very quickly following their death. Embalming made it possible to transport Jacob to the Promised Land during Joseph’s lifetime, and embalming made it possible to transport Joseph more than 400 years later. Today, Egyptian mummies show the long lasting effects of their embalming techniques. As was the custom for Hebrews, Jesus Christ was not embalmed before they laid Him in the tomb; yet His body did not decay (see Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:27).

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. What are some of the things Joseph said and did to assure his brothers that he had forgiven them? What are some of the things God has said and done to assure those who believe in Him that He wants to forgive them for their sins? Why is assurance of forgiveness by God and others usually important to us?

2. What did Joseph’s brothers say to him that indicated their repentance was sincere?

3. Instead of just ignoring what his brothers had done, why do you think it was important for Joseph to tell his brothers that he knew they had intended to do him harm?

4. What can or should someone do when they know in advance that someone intends to harm them? What can or should someone do after they have been harmed by someone who intended to harm them? Are there any lessons from the way Joseph handled his situations that help you in your answers?

5. Do you think God intends everything for good that others intend for evil? Why or why not? How does your understanding of God’s intentions influence the way you face the future? Compare what Joseph said to his brothers about God’s intentions with what Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 50:15-26]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 50:15-26]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further

[Easy to Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 50:15-26]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 50:15-26]

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 50:15-26
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 50:15-26
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 50:15-26

[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons Commentary]
[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons]
[Bible Lessons Archives from 2007-2012 at the original: InternationalBibleLessons.com]

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Nook Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Kindle Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

— © Copyright 2012 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

Commentary on Genesis 45:3-15

International Bible Lessons
Sunday, January 15, 2012

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, January 15, 2012, is from Genesis 45:3-15. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For class discussion, or to begin or close your class, read the International Bible Lesson, for January 15, 2012, to your class The Road to Spiritual Maturity, based on Genesis 45:5, “[Joseph told his brothers], ‘And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life’”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 45:3-15

(Genesis 45:3)  Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

After Joseph gave his brothers a series of tests to determine if they had changed in their attitudes and spirit, he revealed himself to them, and they were amazed to discover that he was ruler over all of Egypt under Pharaoh’s authority alone. By this time, Joseph knew that his brothers were alright, but he wanted to be certain that his father was still alive. Joseph had never lost his love for his father. The dreams that Joseph told his brothers and his father when he was only seventeen years old were fulfilled when his brothers came to him and bowed down to him.

(Genesis 45:4)  Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

At first, his brothers could not believe he was still alive. They had supposed this Egyptian ruler could not speak or understand Hebrew when they spoke in front of him at various times, but Joseph not only understood them, he sat them in birth order when he fed them their first meal together and they did not understand how he knew to do this. Before he revealed himself to them, he had learned from their conversations how their hearts had changed. Joseph spoke to them now in their own Hebrew tongue, and he wanted them to recognize him even though he had no beard (as was the Egyptian custom). He made clear that he knew (and only he would know in addition to them) that they had sold him into slavery and he was now ruler of all Egypt.

(Genesis 45:5)  And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

After he had tested them, he knew they regretted  their sins against him. But rather than emphasize their sins or condemn their evil actions of the past, Joseph chose to see that what they had done was God’s way of getting him to Egypt so He could preserve many lives (both Egyptian, Hebrew, and others who would travel to Egypt). God showed His love for the Egyptians as well as the Hebrews.

(Genesis 45:6)  For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

Joseph’s sons were born during the years of plenty, and in naming his first son he had put the memory of his family behind him. Now, after two years of famine, Joseph is reunited with his family. He has seen the suffering that God has prevented through him, and he knows that this suffering that God has prevented through him far outweighs any suffering he has ever experienced. Now, he wants to prevent any suffering of his father and family. Without Joseph’s preparations, his father and brothers could not survive five more years of famine.

(Genesis 45:7)  God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.

Joseph continued to give them reasons not to be angry with themselves. God sent him ahead (it is unlikely that Jacob would have ever suggested that his beloved son Joseph seek work or take a vacation in Egypt) the best way open to Him (through Joseph’s brothers selling him as a slave). God wanted to preserve Joseph’s family as a part of the promise He had made to Abraham regarding the vast number of descendants that God would give him. Sending the whole family to Egypt would also protect them from becoming involved in or suffering from the heartbreaking moral decline of the Canaanites prior to Joshua reentering the Promised Land with Abraham’s descendants.

(Genesis 45:8)  So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Joseph had come to see how God can work even in a situation that seems bad and unjust to us. After learning how much his brothers regretted their sins against him, Joseph reported to them that God had taken a special charge over his life so he could become as a father to Pharaoh (guiding all of his decisions and taking charge over his domain). Joseph had not planned this or made this a goal in life; God had done all of this to save many lives.

(Genesis 45:9)  Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

Joseph then sent his brothers home to bring their father and their families back to Egypt. They could not survive five more years of famine in the land of Canaan. Moving to Egypt with their flocks was their only hope to avoid the extreme poverty (if not death) that would result from the death of their flocks in the famine in Canaan. One wonders how much they would have honestly told Jacob about how they had sinned against Joseph and their father Jacob when they saw Jacob and reported that Joseph was in Egypt.

(Genesis 45:10)  You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

As the ruler over all Egypt, Joseph could choose where he wanted His family to live and so he chose the best land for shepherds to graze sheep. He also chose with the intention of keeping the Hebrews and the Egyptians apart from one another, for the Egyptians had a prejudice against shepherds and the Hebrews needed to maintain their distinct identity as the children of Abraham. Joseph intended them to remain in Egypt with all of their possessions at least until the famine ended (they stayed until the time of Moses).

(Genesis 45:11)  I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’

Joseph had such complete control over Egypt that he could provide whatever he wanted for his family. By the providence of God, God provided for the needs of Jacob and his family years in advance of the famine (even before Joseph was seventeen years old). Though Jacob had some money to buy food, without Joseph’s help he would have spent it all over the next five years of famine, and his sheep would have died without water and grazing land in Canaan.

(Genesis 45:12)  And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you.

Benjamin was Joseph’s only brother by their common mother, Rachel. By claiming Joseph as his brother, he gave them more evidence that he was indeed Joseph. Here we learn too that Joseph spoke to them in Hebrew and not through an interpreter as he had prior to this time. They may have remembered then (and now understood why), Joseph gave Benjamin such large portions of food when they dined with him.

(Genesis 45:13)  You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.”

Joseph knew that his father must have worried about his disappearance. Joseph may not have known yet about the lie they had told his father, that he had been killed by a wild beast. He knew they regretted their behavior, and his primary concern now was for his father, that his father would know that Joseph’s dreams had been fulfilled and that he wanted to take care of his father and family rather than force them to bow down to him (as they might have interpreted his dreams).

(Genesis 45:14)  Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck.

Since his other brothers were children of Leah and two of Jacob’s concubines, Joseph had special feelings for the youngest brother of the family, Benjamin. Rachel was the mother of them both. They wept together after being reunited, for Benjamin had nothing to do with Joseph being sold into slavery and he was told the same lie by his brothers—that Joseph was dead. One of Joseph’s tests regarded how his brothers would treat Benjamin, and they passed that test, though it must have been of real concern to Benjamin at the time.

(Genesis 45:15)  And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Joseph expressed his love and forgiveness for all of his brothers by kissing all of them as was the custom of the time. He did not demand that they repent, kneel down before him, or beg their forgiveness. They may have sought his forgiveness as they talked. They would learn about their lives and their individual families as they had changed during the years they were separated. Joseph serves as an example of how people need to forgive and also look to see the hand of God in their lives even when suffering times of hardship.

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. Joseph expressed concern that his brothers might become distressed and angry with themselves. What does this expression of concern tell us about Joseph’s character?

2. What reason or reasons does Joseph give his brothers for not being angry and upset with themselves for doing wrong to him? Can you think of a time when someone wronged you and later you could see how God intended it for good or brought good out of the wrong that was done to you? How did this knowledge make you feel? Did it make you change your mind in any way?

3. If Joseph kept believing in his dreams of greatness, what types of things did he do to help make his dreams come true?

4. Who are two of the people that Joseph expressed the greatest concern for in the Bible Lesson on Genesis 45:3-15? Why do you think these two would be of special concern for him?

5. In what way or ways does Joseph demonstrate the manner in which Jesus Christ would like for His followers to treat others?

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 45:3-15]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 45:3-15]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further

[Easy to Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 45:3-15]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 45:3-15]

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 45:3-15
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 45:3-15
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 45:3-15

[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons Commentary]
[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons]
[Bible Lessons Archives from 2007-2012 at the original: InternationalBibleLessons.com]

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Nook Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Kindle Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

— © Copyright 2012 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52 Commentary

International Bible Lessons
Sunday, January 8, 2012

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, January 8, 2012, is from Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For class discussion, or to begin or close your class, read the International Bible Lesson, for January 8, 2012, to your class How To Serve While Suffering, based on Genesis 41:51, “Joseph named the firstborn son Manasseh, ‘For,’ he said, ‘God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house’”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 41:37-45

(Genesis 41:37)  The proposal [by Joseph] pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

Joseph was the only person in all of Egypt who could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, which was a message from God that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. God also gave Joseph an excellent solution to what could have been a disaster leading to many deaths. God showed Joseph the future so he could provide a sound plan for the nation to survive.

(Genesis 41:38)  Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?”

Pharaoh expected his servants to agree with him—that there was no one else like Joseph in Egypt. Joseph had already told Pharaoh that his knowledge had come from God to him. Many translations, properly in my opinion, capitalize “Spirit.”  This translation indicates the probable limited knowledge of God that Pharaoh might possess, since he worshiped the idols of Egypt. Pharaoh acknowledged that the Spirit of God indwelt Joseph, and Joseph probably taught him more about the true God as the years went by and God proved Joseph correct in his dream interpretations. Joseph could save many Egyptians physically and spiritually.

(Genesis 41:39)  So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.

Pharaoh agreed with Joseph that God had revealed the solutions they needed to Joseph. Joseph was the most discerning and wise among them, because God had chosen Joseph as the person He would reveal the future to as well as the solutions to their problems. Joseph was wise enough to serve the true God no matter what situation he found himself in, and God made him wise enough to discern God’s work in Pharaoh’s dreams as God’s words of warning.

(Genesis 41:40)  You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Pharaoh emphasized and made explicit the authority that he gave Joseph so no one would ever question any command given to them by Joseph. Joseph was first over the whole house of Potiphar, then over the prison (as a prisoner or trustee), and finally over the whole of Egypt (under only one person, Pharaoh). Joseph proved himself faithful over smaller areas of administration and responsibility (which were also periods of training for him) before God placed him over larger areas of responsibility. In this way of moving up to greater responsibilities, Joseph gained valuable administrative experience and prepared himself for ever greater responsibilities.

(Genesis 41:41)  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Just as the LORD kept Abimelech from sinning against Abraham and Sarah (see Genesis 20), God could easily move Pharaoh to place Joseph over the entire land of Egypt. However, God only did so after He had prepared Joseph to lead and after Joseph had proved his value to others, especially to Pharaoh and his entire court. God helped Joseph immediately when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, but God took many years to prepare Joseph to rule over all the land of Egypt. Joseph became a ruler because he had demonstrated his wisdom and worth over time.

(Genesis 41:42)  Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck.

Pharaoh gave Joseph some visible signs of his authority. The royal signet ring could be used to make an impression or “seal of authority” in clay, wax, or ink on official documents to prove the order came from Pharaoh, who had given decision making responsibilities to Joseph and who wore the ring on his hand. The fine garments and the gold chain could be seen from a distance, so Joseph’s royal authority would be recognized immediately. Surely, Joseph’s change from prison rags to royal clothes would have been impressive to him and everyone.

(Genesis 41:43)  He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command; and they cried out in front of him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

This could have been a public installation service and royal parade in the capitol city to announce Joseph’s appointment. Everyone needed to see that Pharaoh himself had placed Joseph as second-in-command. Even though Pharaoh was the king of Egypt, he actually became only a figurehead with Joseph making all the important decisions. Only God could have raised a Hebrew slave to this place of authority over all the land of Egypt. The people would bow to Joseph as to a king.

(Genesis 41:44)  Moreover Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

Once Pharaoh knew that God was with Joseph and God’s Spirit indwelt Joseph, Pharaoh gave Joseph what would almost amount to the power of God over the people. Rather than rule as a cruel dictator, Joseph ruled with the benevolence of God to save many from starvation. Only by Pharaoh’s requiring strict obedience to Joseph could he be assured that Joseph’s wise commands would be carried out and no one would interfere with what was the best for all the people.

(Genesis 41:45)  Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Thus Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.

Joseph had to have his name changed from a Hebrew name to an Egyptian name for him to maintain the respect of everyone. His name was changed by Pharaoh, and this would indicate that Pharaoh had adopted him into the Egyptian royal court. His name may have meant “the one who furnishes the nourishment of life,” which he did through his decisions as “the chief steward of the realm” (another possible meaning of the name). His name might also have meant “the revealer of secrets.” The name “On” was the name of an Egyptian idol, and Pharaoh probably thought that one in whom the Spirit of God dwelt should marry the daughter of a priest. Joseph was in no position to disobey Pharaoh, and there were no Hebrew women for him to marry. The priest’s daughter would probably have been prepared by God to learn about the true God from Joseph so they could pass on the knowledge of God to their descendants. She would certainly learn about the power and wisdom of the true God as opposed to the powerlessness of the idols of Egypt, and she could teach these insights to their children.

Genesis 41:50-52

(Genesis 41:50)  Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him.

Joseph had two sons born to him during the seven fruitful years of plenty in Egypt. These two sons had so many descendants that by the time of Moses they had become two tribes of Israel. As sons of Joseph and a priest’s daughter, they were born to positions of high privilege in Egypt, but over time their descendants lost this place of honor and were enslaved by a later Pharaoh.

(Genesis 41:51)  Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”

Joseph forgot his bad experiences and focused his attention on the administrative challenges he faced. After suffering much hardship, he gave God the credit for blessing his life to such a great extent. When believers get to heaven the blessings of being with the LORD will be so great that they will “forget” or put their earthly hardships behind them. Giving the name Manasseh to his firstborn son was Joseph’s way of putting the past truly behind him.

(Genesis 41:52)  The second he named Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes.”

By giving the name Ephraim to his second born son, Joseph truly turned from the past to focus on the future and the fruitfulness he enjoyed in the land of Egypt (which he had known up to this time as “the land of my misfortunes.” Joseph acknowledged the grace of God in the names of both of his sons. God made Joseph fruitful with the birth of his sons and the success of his endeavors as second only to Pharaoh in Egypt during the seven years of plenty and the seven years of drought and famine (which led to the enrichment of Pharaoh).

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. What qualities in Joseph made Pharaoh recognize that the Spirit of God was within him?

2. What qualities would a person have today for someone to recognize that the Spirit of God was within them?

3. What difference does it make for leaders and people when the leaders are people who are discerning and wise because the Spirit of God is within them?

4. Why was it important for Pharaoh to give Joseph as much authority as he did?

5. Why do you think Joseph’s wife may have looked up to him as a person who could teach her the truth about the true God?

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further

[Easy to Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52]

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 41:37-45, 50-52

[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons Commentary]
[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons]
[Bible Lessons Archives from 2007-2012 at the original: InternationalBibleLessons.com]

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Nook Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Kindle Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

— © Copyright 2012 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

Genesis 39:7-21 Commentary

International Bible Lessons
Sunday, January 1, 2012

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, January 1, 2012, is from Genesis 39:7-21. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For class discussion, or to begin or close your class, read the International Bible Lesson, for January 1, 2012, to your class How to Maintain a Confident Faith, based on Genesis 39:21, “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 39:7-21

(Genesis 39:7)  And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”

Joseph’s brothers sold him to some caravan traders who sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. God so blessed Joseph that Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of all the business of running his house. Since Potiphar was rich and famous as a servant of Pharaoh, he needed a reliable person to care for all of his household business and all of the other servants. Then, Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt Joseph to sin.

(Genesis 39:8)  But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand.

Joseph tried to reason with Potiphar’s wife and give her good reasons for not sinning. He also refused her temptations. He explained to her the high trust that her husband had placed in him, and he was not going to violate her husband’s trust. Joseph also knew the law of God, handed down to him by Jacob and written on his heart by God, and he did not want to sin against God or violate the trust that God had placed in him when He blessed him.

(Genesis 39:9)  He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Joseph called what Potiphar’s wife wanted him to do “great wickedness.” Because he saw sin for what it truly is and not what a sinful culture may consider sin, he called it “great wickedness,” which also gave him greater strength to refuse her temptations. Joseph proved himself faithful in the sight of God in what might seem to some in our culture today a “small thing,” but his faithfulness in this “small thing” prepared him for greater responsibilities in Egypt.

(Genesis 39:10)  And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her.

She tempted Joseph everyday, so she kept the pressure of temptation upon him. Perhaps his daily refusals added fuel to the fire of her passion. In order to defeat her efforts at tempting him, Joseph refused even to spend any time with her other than what his household duties required of him. He would not even walk partially down the road to sin by being with her in any way other than what his responsibilities required of him. This was a good strategy on Joseph’s part.

(Genesis 39:11)  One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house,

On this crucial day, Potiphar’s wife (who has remained nameless) tempted Joseph when he might have succumbed because no one else was in the house to witness their sin, but Joseph knew that God would see them, and he did not want to sin against God, Who would see, or against Potiphar, even though he might never learn of their sin, or against Potiphar’s wife, for she would be involved if they sinned together.

(Genesis 39:12)  she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

Joseph chose not to take even one step down the wrong path toward sin, so even though she had grabbed his garment, he was not going to physically touch her, which might lead them into sin or force him into a violent confrontation to keep his garment. He chose to flee from her presence and sought to escape by running outside of the house where he would be in the presence of other servants (which would have kept her from following him).

(Genesis 39:13)  When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,

Potiphar’s wife failed repeatedly to tempt Joseph to sin, and in her anger (which may have turned to hatred for him because of his many refusals), she saw her opportunity to get her revenge against someone who had repeatedly spurned her advances. Joseph had refused to lie with her and lie about it, so she chose to lie about Joseph and how she got his garment.

(Genesis 39:14)  she called out to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice;

When Potiphar’s wife called out to her household servants, some of them may have seen Joseph fleeing from the house without his garment (which would serve as circumstantial evidence against Joseph). Probably none of the household staff who knew the truth would have dared call her a liar. She also expressed racial hatred for a Hebrew, though she had wanted to sin intimately with a Hebrew. She may have felt superior to Joseph, but morally speaking Joseph was superior to her. She also blamed her husband for this situation, for he was the one who brought Joseph, a Hebrew, into their house (somewhat similar to Adam blaming God for giving him Eve, a woman, see Genesis 3:12 – “The woman whom you gave to be with me. . . ”).

(Genesis 39:15)  and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.”

The evidence she presented could support her untrue claims about Joseph. We do not know if Joseph defended himself by telling the truth or trying to tell the truth to an enraged husband, who would not have wanted to believe what Joseph would have told him about his wife (however, the Bible did record the truth). Joseph was convicted of the sin he had refused to commit, based only on the lying testimony of Potiphar’s wife, since there were no eyewitnesses. She was an influential woman and he was a Hebrew slave; therefore, her story may have been believable to many.

(Genesis 39:16)  Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home,

Potiphar’s wife did everything we would require of a person claiming to have been assaulted or harassed today. She told her untrue story immediately to others, which some today think makes the story more likely to be true. She kept the physical evidence that she had stolen from Joseph as evidence of his crime against her. If Joseph had fought against her to reclaim his garment, he might have gotten scratches that would have probably condemned him of the crime she accused him of in the eyes of a judge (or jury in modern times). Joseph only knew to flee from sin, which he did. People unjustly accused or convicted of a crime can identify with what Joseph may have felt.

(Genesis 39:17)  and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me;

To make her lie more convincing, she told the same story again. Probably, from her point of view, Joseph had insulted her time and again for refusing to sin with her. Furthermore, she tried to make Potiphar feel responsible for “the crime,” which probably made him feel even more responsible to execute punishment for “the crime” against a slave he had trusted. No doubt Potiphar felt betrayed by Joseph, rather than suspecting that his wife had betrayed both him and Joseph. Joseph was convicted for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which made it possible for Potiphar’s wife to falsely accuse him and present circumstantial evidence to condemn him.

(Genesis 39:18)  but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.”

She told a partial truth that she twisted into a lie. He did leave his garment behind and fled, but only after she grabbed it and tempted him to sin. Only after he fled and she saw that he had left his garment in her hands did she raise her voice and cry out. It would always be her word against his word. Joseph’s loose-fitting garment was probably a robe. This would be the second time a robe would get Joseph into trouble (see Genesis 37:3, 4).

(Genesis 39:19)  When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” he became enraged.

Potiphar’s wife lied and insisted that “his servant” was at fault in an effort to make Potiphar more enraged and perhaps feel guilty. Potiphar may have been angry at the way his wife had been supposedly treated and angry at Joseph for violating his trust, as he supposed. On all accounts, Joseph was innocent, but mistreated.

(Genesis 39:20)  And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.

Potiphar was the captain of the guard, so he was not someone you would want to make angry. He put Joseph into Pharaoh’s prison, and apparently without even asking Joseph’s side of the story (which would have insulted his wife even more, that he might take the word or defense of a Hebrew slave seriously instead of listening to her word only). Joseph remained in prison, unjustly held. In prison, Joseph would have the opportunity to use the gifts God gave him in a location the very opposite of where he had been. He would be successful even in prison, for God had a purpose for his life.

(Genesis 39:21)  But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.

In spite of suffering injustice and horrible physical confinement (we cannot expect prisons at that time to have had any comforts), the LORD was with Joseph in a way that Joseph must have felt and understood, for he experienced God’s unfailing love for him in very practical ways. We may wonder how believers survive in the midst of horrendous physical and mental suffering, and in this verse the Bible gives us the answer: God will show believers His steadfast love.

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. What might you have advised Joseph if he had confided in you about his problem with Potiphar’s wife before she trapped him and he was imprisoned?

2. How might the temptations of Potiphar’s wife been a test for Joseph? If her temptations were a test, why would it be crucial for him to pass the test?

3. Why do you think Joseph considered falling into the temptations of Potiphar’s wife “sin against God”? How did his understanding of sin help him refuse to fall for her temptations?

4. How did circumstantial evidence convict Joseph of a crime against Potiphar and his wife? If you are asked to serve on a jury, how will you consider circumstantial evidence differently now that you have studied this incident?

5. How do you think Joseph felt when he was unjustly accused, convicted, and imprisoned? Read ahead in Genesis. What might he have done in prison because of this injustice? What did Joseph do in prison? How did this make a difference?

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 39:7-21]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 39:7-21]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further

[Easy to Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 39:7-21]
[Easy to Print -- Large Print: Teacher Study Hints On Genesis 39:7-21]

 Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 39:7-21
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 39:7-21
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 39:7-21

[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons Commentary]
[Comprehensive Index for the International Bible Lessons]
[Bible Lessons Archives from 2007-2011 at the original: InternationalBibleLessons.com]

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Nook Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. for your Kindle Reader and in Paperback:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition Pb
Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition Pb
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] E-book
Principles of Prayer [Charles Finney / L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.] Pb

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

— © Copyright 2012 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, December 18, 2011, is from Genesis 22:1-14. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For class discussion, read the International Bible Lesson, for December 18, 2011, to your class God Has Provided a Lamb for You, based on Genesis 22:11-12, “But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me’”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 22:1-14

(Genesis 22:1)  After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Some think God tested Abraham to show Abraham the depth of his faith and trust in God; much as a teacher may give a test to show the student whether or not they have master the subject taught. After many clear demonstrations of God’s faithfulness to him, from his test Abraham would learn how far he had come in trusting God and His promises completely with respect to each person in his family, especially his son, Isaac. When God called to Abraham, he answered as a servant would answer his master, or an employee would answer his employer: “Here I am, ready to do what you ask.”

(Genesis 22:2)  He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.”

Immediately, God gave Abraham a command, without giving him any reason why He wanted Abraham to do this. Did Abraham have enough experience with God to believe that God had good reasons to ask him to do things without God needing to explain to Abraham why He wanted him to do this? Abraham would prove that he would obey God without question; such was his faith in the goodness of God. His was not a leap of faith in God without evidence, for God had proved His love for Abraham and his family many times before.

(Genesis 22:3)  So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.

Abraham did not argue with God or demand an explanation because God had proven His love and holiness to him in previous events and in the history of his ancestors. Abraham knew that God always kept His promises, so Abraham obeyed immediately. Abraham did not blindly obey God, for he knew the moral character of the One who commanded him to make his sacrifice. Abraham also took two witnesses who could testify regarding this event, because the Bible teaches: “In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid” (John 8:17). They would see and hear Abraham express his trust in God up until he and Isaac went up the mountain, and they would see them again after they came down from the mountain, and Abraham and Isaac (two witnesses) could tell them what happened on the mountain immediately after the event while memory was fresh.

(Genesis 22:4)  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.

For three days Abraham and Isaac walked together. During this time, Abraham may have been tempted to change his mind about doing what God asked, surely the devil may have tempted him to disobey God. Some might argue that his first resolve to obey God could have weakened over a three day period, so the test needed to be over a few days to prove his obedient faith in God. During this time, Abraham did not tell Isaac what the LORD had commanded him to do. Abraham probably knew that Isaac’s faith in God was not strong yet, but it would be made stronger after this experience. He may have spent a great deal of time affirming the love both God and he had for Isaac, and the fact that God had made promises to him and what these promises meant for the future of them both. He probably tried to build up Isaac’s faith in God prior to his sacrifice, so Isaac could trust in God no matter what happened. Since we have no record of Isaac pleading with Abraham as he raised his knife, Isaac must have come to a sincere trust in God and his father that all would be well.

(Genesis 22:5)  Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham told his two witnesses to remain a short distance behind, perhaps the donkeys could not proceed further. He told them three things: we will go, we will worship, and we will return. They could easily remember that Abraham promised this about both Isaac and himself. Abraham knew that God had made previous promises regarding the future of Isaac, that Isaac would have children that would lead to Abraham having many descendants. Based on His promises, Abraham knew that God would arrange somehow for them to return following their sacrificial worship; for God had promised, “But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year” (Genesis 17:21); and “But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you’” (Genesis 21:12).

(Genesis 22:6)  Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

Jesus Christ carried the wood, His cross, to His sacrificial death on a hill that some identify as Mount Moriah, where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac, who also carried the wood for the sacrifice. Both God the Father and Abraham loved their sons (see Genesis 22:2). Isaac carried what he needed to obey his father. Jesus carried what He needed to obey His heavenly Father. Just as Abraham walked with Isaac up to the place of sacrifice, Jesus’ heavenly Father walked with him on the road to crucifixion.

(Genesis 22:7)  Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Finally, Isaac asked about the sacrifice. He apparently trusted that his father, Abraham, would find or buy a lamb for the sacrifice along the way, but as they neared the place of sacrifice his father still had no lamb. Abraham must have shown his love for Isaac and his confidence in God as they were going to worship so Isaac felt no need to ask this question before they began to climb the mountain. Abraham showed no distrust in God; no grief over losing his son in sacrifice; for Abraham trusted completely in God and His promises to him.

(Genesis 22:8)  Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

For God to keep His previous promises to Abraham (see this commentary on Genesis 22:5), God would need to either raise Isaac from the dead (which Abraham knew God had the power to do) or God would need to provide a lamb as a substitute for Isaac. In the New Testament, we read this explanation: “By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, ‘It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.’ He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Hebrews 11:17-19). Abraham knew that God would not accept any substitute that he himself would provide in the place of Isaac. Just as God did not accept the sacrifice of Cain when he disobeyed God in the sacrifice he offered instead of what God required, which was a lamb (see Genesis 4:1-4). Abraham knew that God alone could provide an acceptable substitute, and Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb. In a similar way, God provided Jesus as the sacrificial substitute for us, so we do not need to die for our sins if we place our faith in Jesus the Messiah as our substitute.

(Genesis 22:9)  When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

God showed Abraham where to go, and as Abraham had to take some time to collect the stones and build the altar (probably with Isaac’s help), he had time to rethink and be tempted to back out of offering Isaac at the last minute. Perhaps in prayer he reminded God of His promises to him as he prepared his altar. He prepared Isaac for sacrifice exactly as he would have prepared any lamb for sacrifice. The Bible does not tell us what Isaac was thinking or saying, but we have no record of his crying out in protest; perhaps that shows us the depth of his faith in God and in his father, that God would provide a lamb. We do know that this event had a tremendous effect upon Isaac, for God’s name became “the Fear of Isaac,” which Isaac’s son, Jacob, used as a title for God and swore by: “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night” (Genesis 31:42). In addition, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor”—the God of their father—“judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac” (Genesis 31:53).

(Genesis 22:10)  Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

Abraham did all that God commanded. By raising the knife, Abraham sacrificed his son in his mind and heart exactly as God commanded him. God looked upon the intention of Abraham’s heart to obey God in faith, so God required nothing more of him. God looks upon the intentions of our hearts to serve God, even if we may be prevented from doing all that we would like to do for God because someone or something prevents us. God credits our sincere intentions to obey Him. We do not know why God seems to wait until the last minute sometimes, but He does so for good reasons and perhaps to test our faith.

(Genesis 22:11)  But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

When God calls Abraham, he answers once again as an obedient servant. The “Angel of the LORD” is often identified with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, before He is born in human flesh. It is fitting that He should be the One to stop Abraham and provide the lamb for him, knowing that no lamb could be substituted for Him when He offered himself as a sacrifice for us, the sacrificial Lamb of God. By offering himself, God could uphold the integrity of His holy law of love and keep His promises to save His people from their sins and the eternal consequences of their sins. In the New Testament, we read, “She [Mary] will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). And Jesus promised, “for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

(Genesis 22:12)  He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

Surely, Abraham and Isaac both rejoiced to hear God’s command, and both learned from God directly why Abraham had raised his knife. They would be the two witnesses to God’s stopping Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and God’s providing the lamb. Fear can be translated, “reverential obedience,” which Jesus also manifested when He obeyed His heavenly Father. Faith always results in reverential obedience, because in God we trust, just as Abraham trusted.

(Genesis 22:13)  And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Abraham did not see the ram, the male sheep, until he took his eyes off of the son he loved. And, God did not miraculously provide the lamb until Abraham had demonstrated his faithful obedience: this was a true test. The LORD did provide the lamb, just as Abraham had promised his son, Isaac (see Genesis 22:8). God confirmed Abraham’s trust in God and Abraham’s promise to his son, which would help build up Isaac’s faith in God and his father after a fearful experience.

(Genesis 22:14)  So Abraham called that place “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

The place on the mountain was named, “the LORD will provide,” because God did this in true human history and the Holy Spirit inspired Abraham to give the place this name as part of God’s redemption history that pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s only Son, that God provided for us. When Jesus died on the cross as our Substitute, He fulfilled this prophecy of Abraham’s (and the prophecy of others), “On the mount of the LORD, it shall be provided.” For this reason, and others, God does not require any parent to sacrifice their children. In the Old Testament history, God always condemned the human sacrifices that the false gods of Israel’s neighbors required of their servants. Yet, we too are called by God to trust and obey as did Abraham and Jesus, for there is no other way to have an eternal and happy relationship with God our heavenly Father.

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. Describe the type of faith a person must have to obey God immediately and without question?

2. How can people develop and maintain the strong type of faith that Abraham demonstrated?

3. Why do you think God tested Abraham?

4. If you were Abraham, what might you have talked with Isaac about during your three day journey and climb up the mountain?

5. If you were Isaac, how might you have felt from the time Abraham raised his knife to the time God provided the lamb as a substitute? How might this experience have an effect upon your faith?

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 22:1-14]
[Easy to Print: - Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 22:1-14]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further!
On Genesis 22:1-14

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 22:1-14
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 22:1-14
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 22:1-14

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

— © Copyright 2011 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, December 11, 2011, is from Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahomannewspaper.

For class discussion, read the International Bible Lesson, for December 11, 2011, to your class Your Reward for Your Faithfulness, based on Genesis 15:1, “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great’”. You may also find this older International Bible Lesson, from September 26, 2007, helpful, How Can Someone Be Righteous?, based on Genesis 15:6 “And Abraham believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness’”.

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 15:1-6

(Genesis 15:1)  After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Abram demonstrated mature character traits and trust in God when he allowed Lot to choose the best land when their flocks became too large and they needed to separate from one another, when he rescued Lot from some evil kings who had captured him, and when he gave a tithe to Melchizedek. Then, God appeared to Abram and told him not to be afraid of anyone or anything, for He Himself would protect him and reward him. Abram’s great reward was a happy relationship with God and receiving the fulfillment of the promises of God.

(Genesis 15:2)  But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Possessions did not mean as much to Abram as the birth of a son and the fulfillment of God’s promise to give him a son (a promise made in Genesis 12). For Abram, the promise God made to him earlier of having a family with children meant more to him than anything else God could give him. He bravely and immediately expressed his deepest desire to God. At that time, if a child was not available to inherit, then the inheritance could go to a family slave.

(Genesis 15:3)  And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.”

Abram told God explicitly what he wanted, and that became an example of how those who have Abram’s faith can pray. God made a promise to Abram when He called him to leave his home and go to the land of Canaan. Abram respectfully reminded God of His promise to him. He also acknowledged the fact that God had the power to give him children. In prayer, we can ask God to fulfill His promises made to believers in the Bible.

(Genesis 15:4)  But the word of the LORD came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.”

God promised that “this man,” Eliezer, would not be his heir. Abram would have a son in fulfillment of God’s promise to him. Abram learned patience and practiced that virtue when he finally received Isaac, the son of God’s promise, after twenty-five years of waiting. God may seem slow to us, but God does keep His promises.

(Genesis 15:5)  He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

God appeared to Abram at night and showed him the stars of heaven. God’s promise was fulfilled literally when we think of the descendants of Ishmael (see Genesis 16:15-16) and Isaac (see Genesis 21:3-5) even to this day; and especially when we think of the number of Jews and Gentiles who have come into God’s family through faith in Abram’s descendant, Jesus the Messiah (see Matthew 1:17; John 8:56-58; Romans 4:16). Abram would live to be 175 years old, but it would take centuries and many generations to fulfill God’s promises. Even today we see the evidence in believers that God keeps His promises.

(Genesis 15:6)  And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Abram demonstrated his faith in God and belief in the Word of God. He demonstrated his belief every time he obeyed God and acted with trust in God’s commands and promises. God knew of Abram’s past failures and sins, and that Abram would fail and sin again, but Abram trusted God, and only by his faith could God consider Abram righteous. God did not reckon or hold Abram’s sins against him because Abram believed what God said (see also Romans 4:3, 9; and read the entire chapter 4 in Romans.) Jesus’ death on the cross as a sacrifice for Abram’s sins and for the sins all who believe in Jesus the Messiah and His redeeming work proves that God is righteous when He forgives sins and considers believers righteous on the condition of faith (see Romans 3:21-31).

Genesis 15:12-18

(Genesis 15:12)  As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

The LORD made a covenant or a binding agreement with Abram at the LORD’s initiative and direction when Abram cut apart some animals and God passed between them. Abram sensed the holy solemnity of God making this covenant and the seriousness of what God meant was terrifying (as well as the experience itself). God promised to give His own life, which is what the division of the animals meant, should He break His covenant. Of course, God kept His promise.

(Genesis 15:13)  Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years;

God told Abram a certainty, “Know this for certain,” which meant that he should not pray for God to do anything differently (as he had prayed for Lot and the city of Sodom). The Hebrews would be held captive in Egypt for 400 years and be slaves to Pharaoh. God did not tell Abram when or why this would happen, or else the information was not passed on from Abram to others. However, God knew that their years of oppression would benefit them, or He would not have allowed this to happen. Also, as the Amorites became increasingly evil during the four hundred years, their evil would not lead the Hebrews astray or bring worse violence to them that they would suffer in Egypt as slaves.

(Genesis 15:14)  but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

God told Abram two details that reveal God is just. First, Pharaoh acted unjustly when he enslaved the Hebrews; thus, God would judge Pharaoh and his nation for the suffering the people of Egypt brought upon the Hebrews. Second, the Hebrews as a people would be “paid” for their years of servitude, for they would bring with them great possessions when Moses led them out of Egypt.

(Genesis 15:15)  As for yourself, you shall go to your ancestors in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.

After Abram learned these facts, facts that he handed down to Isaac; facts that were handed to future generations, he learned about his own personal destiny. He would die in peace: he fought no more wars after his rescue of Lot. He would live to “a good old age”: he would have good years in his old age and he did live for 175 years. His body would not be abandoned after he died, but he would actually be honored by his family in his burial.

(Genesis 15:16)  And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

Each generation of Hebrews at that time lived about or more than 100 years (Abraham lived 175 years); hence, the Hebrews would return after 400 years or 4 generations. Even as God would not punish Pharaoh and his people for their sins before they deserved punishment, God would not punish the Amorites as severely as they deserved before they deserved it (their iniquity was “not yet complete”). The Holy Creator of all gives a just warning to all who read these verses. God will punish all nations for their sins, but He is patient for years longer than most people would suppose.

(Genesis 15:17)  When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

The fire represents God himself. God is a holy fire. He is the Light of the world and in Him is no darkness at all. God, the Holy Spirit, appeared as flames of fire over the heads of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost. God passed through these animals in a way that Abram would remember and be able to tell others. He would tell his descendants the terms of the covenant and how God made the covenant.

(Genesis 15:18)  On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

This covenant or contract was binding on God and He fulfilled the contract when Joshua entered the Promised Land and during the time of the Judges and subsequent kings (especially King David and King Solomon). Later, the Hebrews lost possession of their land as punishment for their sins and they were carried off into captivity in Babylon. Just as God justly punished the Amorites before them, God justly punished the Hebrews after them.

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. What is the difference between God being your shield and God providing you with a shield? Which would you prefer? Why?

2. What shield are believers supposed to take? Why do believers need this shield in addition to the protection God provides?

3. What reward did God promise Abram? Compare different translations of Genesis 15:1 (see especially the King James Version) for your answer.

4. What did God say would happen to some of Abram’s descendants? How might their knowing this have helped them?

5. What did God say would happen to Abram?

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18]
[Easy to Print: - Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further!
On Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18

Write your comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the Bible Lesson Forum. Read the International Bible Lessons at http://internationalbiblelessons.org.

— © Copyright 2011 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. Permission Granted for Not for Profit Use.

You can drop me an e-mail note using the form on the Introduction page.

Books by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. now available for your Nook Reader:
How God Teaches Us to Pray: Lessons from the Lives of Francis and Edith Schaeffer,
Francis and Edith Schaeffer: Expanded and Updated Edition,
Prayer Steps to Serenity: Daily Quiet Time Edition E-book.

The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Series) for Sunday, December 4, 2011, is from Genesis 12:1-9. Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further follow the verse by verse International Bible Lesson Commentary below. The Study Hints for Thinking Further, which are also available on the Bible Lesson Forum, will aid teachers in class preparation and in conducting class discussion. For additional International Bible Lesson Commentaries, see the complete and comprehensive International Bible Lessons Commentary Index. The weekly International Bible Lesson is posted each Saturday before the lesson is scheduled to be taught at http://InternationalBibleLessons.org and in The Oklahoman newspaper.

For class discussion, read the International Bible Lesson, Ways To Prove Your Faith, based on Genesis 12:1-9 “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’”

International Bible Lesson Commentary

Genesis 12:1-9

(Genesis 12:1)  Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

God did not change Abram’s name to Abraham until Genesis 17:5. Just as we leave the world behind to follow Jesus Christ in the Kingdom He promised, Abram had to leave his known world behind to go where God would lead him. God taught him how to totally trust in Him for all of his needs and future. God also taught him to obey Him always. Abram went to a better land, just as our going to heaven is going to the better place that Jesus has prepared for His followers. The new world that God has promised will be a better place too.

(Genesis 12:2)  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

God gave Abram good reasons to obey Him by telling him what He would do when Abram left his old world behind. Abram did not know how long he would need to wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled or how God would keep them. Abram simply trusted God and obeyed. Abram’s faith, though not as mature as it would become, tells us something about Abram’s character when God called him.

(Genesis 12:3)  I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abram would bless others by his faith and obedience. He blessed his nephew, Lot, by giving him land and later rescuing him from captivity. He blessed the world through many of his descendants, especially Jesus the Messiah. God would bless him, and though we do not learn if any cursed or abused Abram directly, his descendants suffered at the hands of evil people, and God has punished many of those who cursed them. Some especially cursed Jesus, and some still do so.

(Genesis 12:4)  So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

We are never too old to begin obeying God, though we might have served God better in the strength of our youth. We do not know how much Abram knew about God or how long he obeyed God before he was seventy-five years old. Abram had to wait twenty-five years for the birth of the son God promised (Isaac), and he lived for one hundred and seventy-five years (see Genesis 21:5 and Genesis 25:7). We do not know how long we will need to wait for God to keep some of His promises to us and others.

(Genesis 12:5)  Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan,

God did not change Sarai’s name to Sarah until Genesis 17:15. Since they had no children, their brother’s son could be a great help in their moving and caring for their livestock. Lot’s father, Haran, had died in Ur of the Chaldean’s (which was SE of Babylon). Though Abram’s father, Terah, had left for the land of Canaan, he stopped and settled his family in Haran (Genesis 11:31). The “persons” may have been servants, because shepherds would need servants to help them if they had a large flock of sheep. They did not need to abandon all of the good things that God had already given them when God called them to move to the land of Canaan.

(Genesis 12:6)  Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

Abram left Haran, which was slightly NE of Syria and traveled to Shechem, which was NE of Jerusalem and NW of the Dead Sea. In Moses’ day, the city was named Shechem and Moses used the name in writing this verse. Moreh was probably the name of the man who owned the land: the name can mean “teacher.” It may have been a place of rest and worship for Canaanites and other travelers.

(Genesis 12:7)  Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

All of his life, Abram traveled in tents. The only things of permanence that he built were altars to the LORD. He never built a home; just as the LORD traveled with His people in tent or tabernacle until Solomon built a temple. The land was given by God to Abram’s offspring. The only land Abram ever owned was a burial cave and surrounding field that he bought for his wife and himself (see Genesis 23:1-20). Abram lived in the Promised Land, but only owned this cave and field.

(Genesis 12:8)  From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and invoked the name of the LORD.

It seems that wherever Abram went in the Promised Land, he built an altar to worship the true God instead of the false gods of the Canaanites. Later, when he went into Egypt because of a famine in the land of Canaan, as far as we know he did not build an altar (perhaps fear of the Egyptians overcame his faith in God). The name Bethel means “House of God,” which was about ten miles north of Jerusalem. Ai was destroyed by Joshua after an initial defeat when the Hebrews entered the Promised Land (see Joshua 7-8).

(Genesis 12:9)  And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Abram continued to travel south toward Egypt as he sought green pastures and water for his flocks. He went by stages as his flocks grazed. In the Book of Genesis, we also learn about the spiritual stages of faith and failure that Abram experienced as he grew in faith on his way to spiritual maturity.

Five Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. Have you ever had to move away from your homeland or father’s home? How secure did you feel? How did your faith in God influence your move?

2. Today, when you read about events that can create fear and uncertainty, how does your faith in God help you?

3. What are some of the things Abram did to strengthen his faith in God? What are some of the things you can do to strengthen your faith in God?

4. Abram moved a lot of times in the Promised Land. How can moving often have an effect on people?

5. Have you ever thought that God wanted you to move? What did you do? What was the result of what you did?

[Easy to Print: Commentary on Genesis 12:1-9]
[Easy to Print: - Large Print: Commentary on Genesis 12:1-9]

Teacher Study Hints for Thinking Further!
On Genesis 12:1-9

Verse By Verse Study Guide Class Handouts

[Easy Print: How to Use the Verse By Verse Study Guides Below]

Verse By Verse KJV Genesis 12:1-9
Verse By Verse GNB Genesis 12:1-9
Verse By Verse NRSV Genesis 12:1-9

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