CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Genesis 50:15-26
In last week’s focus, we witnessed the dramatic reunion of Joseph and his brothers. Great famine was still present in the land, and Joseph desired to be reunited with his elderly father. He sent his brothers back to Canaan to get him. On the journey to Egypt, God appeared to Israel and assured him this was the right move. In chapter 46 we read of the tearful reunion of Israel with his once favorite son, having believed he was dead for twenty years. Joseph was a little apprehensive about presenting his clan to Pharaoh, as Egyptians were suspicious of sharing their lands with shepherds, especially during times of famine. However, Israel was able to stand before Pharaoh and bless him! Joseph’s family was given the rich pasture lands of Goshen in which to settle.
The remaining chapters of Genesis tell the story of death bed scenes. In the first one, we are told that Jacob lived seventeen years in Egypt, making him 147 at the time of his death. As Jacob nears the end of his life, Joseph comes to see him. For ancient peoples, where you were buried was almost as important as anything that happened in your life. Jacob made Joseph swear to have him buried in the ancestral tomb back in Canaan with his fathers. In the second deathbed scene, Joseph brings his two sons in to see Jacob. Jacob remains Jacob to the very end – he shows partiality by adopting these Egyptian boys as his own, and giving them equal status with his oldest sons. He also gives a greater blessing to Ephraim, the youngest of Joseph’s sons.
In chapter 49, Jacob calls all of his sons together for the final death bed blessings. Remember, this is the same blessing he himself received deceitfully from his father Isaac earlier in the story. This time, though, no son will be left out. These blessings are really prophesies for the future tribes of Israel, more than specific pronouncements about the sons themselves. For instance, the oldest three boys represent three tribes of Israel who never gained much land at all in the conquest of Canaan. The blessings of Judah and Joseph are by far the longest. This makes sense, for the tribe of Judah – David’s tribe – would rise to prominence in the South. Joseph’s tribes would do the same in the North.
Finally Jacob – whose name had been changed to Israel and whom the nation that bore his name would so identify with in the future – died. He was embalmed and carried back to Canaan in great procession to be buried with Abraham, Isaac, and Leah. Now, Joseph’s brothers assumed he had delayed taking revenge on them for the sake of their father. When they came to Joseph to beg for their lives, it hurt Joseph so badly he wept. Once again, he assured them God had been at work in their story. As Joseph himself neared death, he reminded his brothers that God was not through with their family. They still had God’s promise, and would one day be taken back to the Promised Land. We’ll have to wait until Exodus to see this promise fulfilled.
Today’s sermon will ask us to think about the blessings and promises we will one day leave.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. Do you have a special possession that once belonged to a parent or grandparent? Why is it important to you?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Joseph left his family with promises.
• We will one day leave promises behind as well.
• God’s Promise would sustain Joseph’s family.
• God’s Promise will sustain us today.
This Week’s Assignment –
Having a CrossViewed life means holding on to God’s promises during challenging or sad times. What are some of the promises God has given us? Write down one or two that will serve as good reminders for you this week.
What promises are you leaving behind for those who will come after you?
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Genesis 45:1-15
The story of Joseph reaches its dramatic and ironic zenith in this week’s scripture focus. This is Hebrew story telling at its best. Everything had transpired according to Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream. Famine had arrived, but Egypt had grain to spare due to Joseph’s great management. The famine had reached Canaan as well. Jacob had plenty of money to buy grain from Egypt, but his sons were understandably reluctant to travel to the land where the brother they had sold into slavery so long ago had likely ended up. Finally Jacob insisted they go buy grain. He made Benjamin stay behind as the only surviving son of Rachel. Once the brothers arrived in Egypt, Joseph immediately recognized them, though they didn’t know who he was.
We’re not sure of Joseph’s motivations at first – revenge or restoration – but in his actions he toys with his brothers. First, he accuses them of being a band of spies. They insist they are really brothers. “In fact, there are two more of us, but one is ‘no more’ and the youngest is home with our father!” Joseph at first puts all of them in prison, but then loads them up with grain and sends all but one of them – Simeon – on their way. He tells them Simeon will be released when they return with their youngest brother. They are already dreading telling their father of this turn of events, when they discover their silver has been placed back in their sacks. Now when they return to Egypt, they will be accused of theft and enslaved or put to death.
Jacob won’t allow them to return with Benjamin at first, but finally the grain runs out and they have no choice. When they return, humbly and with gifts, Joseph shocks them by dismissing the silver in the sacks. “It must have been your God” he insists. Then, he reunites them with Simeon and throws them a huge banquet – serving Benjamin a five-fold portion of meat! The brothers have to wonder if they are being set up. Sure enough, when they leave the next morning, loaded down with grain, Joseph’s steward chases after them and accuses them of stealing Joseph’s silver chalice, used for divination. The cup is discovered in Benjamin’s sack (having been placed there by Joseph’s servants.)
When Joseph insists Benjamin be enslaved, Judah makes a moving plea to take his place, as Benjamin’s only full brother (Joseph) has already been lost to their father. Joseph can contain himself no longer. After he dismisses all the Egyptians from the room, and cries loudly. He reveals his true identity simply – “I am Joseph. Is my father alive?” We can only imagine the shock this was to the eleven brothers. That shock would have been mingled with fear, for the brother they had greatly wronged – whose dreams of power they had so resented – now had the ability to take revenge. Instead, Joseph quickly assured them that God had caused him to end up in Egypt so that he might save their lives. The reunited brothers hug, weeping. We weep with them.
Today’s sermon will talk about God’s providence and our power.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. Can you recall a time when you were able to get revenge on someone? How about a time when you showed mercy?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Joseph had all the power over his brothers.
• We all have a measure of power in our relationships.
• God’s providence was the source of Joseph’s power.
• God’s providence is at work in how we use our power, too.
This Week’s Assignment –
Having a CrossViewed life means doing using the power we have to fulfill God’s plan, rather than advance our own agenda. Who do you hold power over in your life this week? Find ways to use that power to feed (meet needs) and forgive (restore relationships.)
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Genesis 41:15-40
We’re continuing the story of Joseph – great grandson of Abraham and eleventh son of Jacob. Last week, we left him in a caravan bound for Egypt, sold as a slave by his brothers. In Genesis 39, we find out that Joseph ended up being sold to Potiphar, a wealthy officer in Pharaoh’s court. Joseph was probably initially purchased to do field labor, but his God-given gifts quickly showed, and he rose in the ranks of Potiphar’s servants until he was made house manager – the highest position a slave could hold. Potiphar placed tremendous trust in Joseph. Potiphar’s wife made advances on Joseph, but when he rebuffed them and fled, she accused him of attempted rape. Potiphar could have killed Joseph, but instead placed him in political prison.
Apparently part of Potiphar’s duties included supervising this prison, for he quickly placed Joseph in charge of it. Soon, two courtiers somehow angered Pharaoh, probably upon suspicion of an assassination plot. They were placed directly under Joseph’s care, where they both had troubling dreams. In order to fully grasp the rest of the story, we must understand the importance placed on dreams and their interpretation in ancient culture. The most prominent members of the court were those who interpreted dreams. However, these two prisoners had no access to the interpreters, so they were greatly distressed. Joseph, having been gifted by God to understand dreams, told the prisoners their meaning – one would be found innocent, and one would die.
After giving the two men the mixed yet honest meaning of their dreams, Joseph asked for help – finally. He told the men his story. He had been unjustly brought to Egypt and unjustly placed in prison. Joseph asked the cup bearer, who had received the favorable interpretation, to help him out when he was restored to a position of authority. Of course, the cup bearer quickly forgot Joseph. However, after two years Pharaoh also had a troubling dream involving lean cows devouring fat cows and lean “ears” of grain consuming healthy ones. The professional interpreters proved useless in deciphering the meaning. Suddenly, the cup bearer conveniently remembered Joseph at a point when it was politically helpful to him!
What we often miss in Joseph’s story is how wronged he was by the cup bearer, who was an important member of Pharaoh’s court and had the power to help Joseph greatly. Instead, he let him remain in prison. Joseph had to be cleaned up to even be brought into Pharaoh’s presence. However, Joseph’s situation was about to change greatly. Joseph not only interpreted Pharaoh’s two dreams, which showed that Egypt was about to enjoy seven years of plenty followed by seven years of severe famine. He boldly advised Pharaoh what to do! This was unheard of for a slave and prisoner. It proved a wise move – Joseph was made second in command of all Egypt, given a prominent wife, and became wealthy. God will use soon use Joseph to change the world.
Today’s sermon will focus on God’s authority to use our abilities.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. If you could give the leaders in Washington DC one piece of advice to “fix” our problems, what would it be?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Joseph had great ability but no authority to change his situation.
• We feel our situations are beyond our abilities.
• God had authority to use Joseph’s abilities to change his situation.
• God has authority to use your abilities to change your world.
This Week’s Assignment –
Having a CrossViewed life means doing what you can when you can. Look for opportunities to use your God-given gifts and natural abilities this week. Perhaps it won’t help change your situation, but with God’s timing it could change your world.
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Genesis 37:12-36
We will transition our focus on the Patriarchs this week from Jacob to his son Joseph. Last week, Jacob had journeyed home and experienced a happy reunion with his estranged twin brother, Esau. In Genesis 35, we find Jacob has been commanded by God to settle in Bethel – the same place where he slept on a pillar of stone and dreamed of angels ascending temple steps to heaven as he fled for his life over twenty years earlier. Jacob instructed his household to destroy all foreign gods – perhaps Rachel still possessed the ones she stole from her father. When the family left Bethel, Rachel went into labor, and died in childbirth. Before dying, she gave her son the ominous name “Ben Omi”, meaning “son of my trouble”.
Jacob, whose name had by now been changed to Israel, displayed a show of hope by changing the boy’s name to “Benjamin”, meaning “son of my right hand”. He was Jacob’s twelfth son. Rachel was buried on the road to Bethlehem. Israel and his family finally settled back where he started, at his father Isaac’s home in Hebron. Isaac then died, and the twin brothers came together once again to bury him. Chapter 36 gives a detailed list of the descendents of Esau, known as the Edomites. Though Esau was not the child of the promise, his descendents played an important role in Israel’s history, and his children developed a strong monarchy and civilization long before Israel transitioned from tribe to nation.
In chapter 37, we come to the story of Joseph that will play out for the rest of Genesis. In the first four verses, evil shadows from the past make an appearance, and great injustice in the near future is hinted. Joseph was 17, and had been assigned the job of tending sheep with his older half brothers. He gossiped about them to his father Jacob. Remember Jacob had favored Rachel over his other wives, so he showed intense favoritism to her son Joseph, even making a special coat for him. Jacob’s half brothers were both jealous of the special treatment he received and resentful of his tattling to their father. In short, they hated him. Their bitterness became so great that they could neither speak a kind word to him or about him.
Joseph didn’t help his case much when he began talking about his dreams to his family. To ancient people, dreams were often seen as messages from God. It was clear that Joseph’s dreams were meant to be interpreted as his brothers being subservient to him. Finally, even Jacob rebuked Joseph. When the time came for the brothers to take the flocks a long distance from home, they decided to get revenge on their brother. First, they were going to simply murder him. Who would know? The oldest, however, said “Let’s just throw him in a cistern and let him die of hunger and thirst”, meaning to secretly rescue him later. Before Joseph could be rescued, the other brothers decided to profit from him, and sold him to distant cousins as a slave.
Today’s sermon will examine the dangers of jealousy in family relationships.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. Can you think of a time as a child when you were jealous of a family member? Looking back, would you trade places with them now?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Joseph was a victim of jealousy.
• Jealousy is a powerful force in families today.
• The Lord was greater than Israel’s jealousy.
• The Lord’ can overcome jealousy in your life.
This Week’s Assignment –
Having a CrossViewed life means offering grace and forgiveness to those in our families who cause us pain. Have you experienced family pain due to jealousy, either on the giving or receiving end? What small step can you take to mend a hurt relationship this week? Even if it’s something as simple as breathing a prayer, do it today!
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Genesis 32:24-31
Last week we left Jacob in the employ of his uncle/father-in-law, Laban. He tended flocks for fourteen years as payment for Leah and Rachel. During this time, Jacob’s wives and their maids gave birth to eleven sons and one daughter. Of course, these births were often accompanied by quarreling, jealousy, and accusations of mistreatment between the two sisters, with the two maids used as pawns. Rachel was barren for most of this time, until the scripture says God “remembered” her, and she finally gave birth to Joseph, the eleventh boy. Having completed the terms of his agreement with Laban, Jacob attempted to leave. Laban, however, didn’t want to let him go. Jacob went back to his trickster ways when he came to the negotiating table.
What follows is a tale that would have been considered somewhat risqué to Hebrew audiences. Jacob offered to take all the spotted and black livestock from Laban’s herd to start his own flocks. Laban immediately agreed, since this would represent a miniscule percentage of the flock. Jacob, however, used common breeding practices of the day to ensure the female animals in heat mated with the strongest males, and bore only striped, spotted, and black offspring! Jacob became wealthy, and Laban hated him as a result. Laban’s sons complained to their father, and Jacob knew it was time to go. Gathering his wives, children, and herds, he flees in the night. Laban caught up to him and confronted him, but a treaty is made and Jacob leaves in peace.
Jacob may have triumphed in his dealings with Laban, but he was overcome with a sense of foreboding as he remembered where he was headed – back home, where the problems he left and the brother he cheated twenty years ago were still waiting. He had a vision of a heavenly army or “company” – another “how this place got its name” story. This should have reminded him of God’s protection, but it did nothing to alleviate his fears when he found out Esau was coming to meet him with an army of 400 men. Always the schemer, he divided his people into two companies, and sent large gifts ahead of him to (hopefully) appease Esau. Most importantly, he prayed that God would remember God’s promise and protect him.
What follows is the most dramatic “naming” story yet, and a dramatic conclusion to the tale of two brothers. Jacob sent his family across a river, but when he attempted to cross, a man appeared and prevented him. Jacob wrestled with the man, at some point realizing He is wrestling with God! God displaced Jacob’s hip, and changed his name to Israel – “wrestles with God” – the name that would aptly apply to all his descendants. As it turns out, Jacob had no reason to worry. He bowed down seven times when he approached Esau; Esau, however, grabbed him and embraced him. They both wept. Esau had come to terms with the past, and had abandoned already abandoned the home territory. The land of promise sat waiting for Jacob.
Today’s sermon will focus on trusting God with our family.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. Have you ever really worried about something, only to find out you had no reason to worry? Did worry help?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Jacob worried about his family.
• Our family is a huge source of worry in our hearts.
• God wrestled with Jacob so Jacob would trust God.
• God offers us the gift of trust today.
This Week’s Assignment –
Having a CrossViewed life means trusting God with the things that concern us most. What are you most worried about in your family today? Place it in God’s hands, and allow God to handle it.