Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class June 18, 2022.

Maine Theme: Joseph’s brothers experience sin, repentance and salvation.

Read: Genesis 41:37-57. Summarize this passage.

Study: What is God’s place in the success of Joseph?

Apply: What are ways that others should be able to see, from the kind of lives that we live, the reality of our God?

Share: Your friend says that the story of Joseph rising to power from such humble beginnings sounds like a fairy tale. Especially the part about him being promoted from prisoner to such a high position. Your friend says nothing like this could ever happen today. What do you tell your friend?

Read: Genesis 42, especially verses 20-23. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What happened here, and how does it reveal the providence of God, even despite human evil and wrongdoing?

Apply: How can we make up for what we have done that we are sorry for?

Share: Your friend asks if God is punishing us every time something bad happens? If not, how do you know the difference between what Joseph’s brothers experienced and when bad things are just randomly happening to you? What do you tell your friend?

Read: Genesis 44:1-9 and 18-34. Define the main idea of these passages.

Study:  Why did Joseph put the divination cup in Benjamin’s sack and not in another brother’s sack?

Apply: What principle of love, as exemplified in Judah’s response, is implied in the process of substitution? How does this kind of love explain the biblical theology of salvation? See Romans 5:8.

Share: Your friend says that Judah did not want to break his father’s heart again. Is that what true repentance is all about? How do you answer your friend?

Read: Genesis 45:1-9. Define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What lessons of love, faith, and hope can be found in this story?

Apply: Yes, Joseph was gracious to his brothers. He could afford to be. How, though, do we learn to be gracious to those whose evil toward us doesn’t turn out as well as it did for Joseph?

Share: Your friend says that Genesis 45:5 says God sent Joseph into Egypt. Does that mean his brothers didn’t have anything to do with it? How do you answer your friend?