Watch the video presentation on YouTube at: Genesis 42-50
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FORGIVENESS
ICEBREAKER: THE STORY
Now just like last week, I like to do a bit of a quick activity to help my students review this second part of the story. I’ve put together a similar handout to that one that has your students once again putting the story into chronological order. And you could use this activity as the Icebreaker for this week. I’ll admit that this week is a little bit tougher because of the similarities in the pictures but if they look closely enough, I feel the details in the pictures give them enough clues to figure it out. But either way, whether they get them wrong, or right is not really the point. This will just help them to think about the story and give you a chance to review it as a class.
The answers would go like this
And this is after Joseph has been promoted to second in command over all of Egypt and the seven years of plenty have passed and we are now two years into the years of famine. At this point, we have our first picture
H: Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy grain.
B: Instead of revealing who he is (because he’s not sure if his brothers even want to see him) Joseph wishes to discover if his brother Benjamin is still alive and test if his brothers have changed, so he demands they bring Benjamin back with them, and to assure that they will, he takes Simeon prisoner.
E: The brothers return home and, when things get bad again and they run out of grain, they do return with Benjamin to request more food.
J: When Joseph sees that Benjamin, his full brother, is still alive, he runs from the room and weeps.
I: He then provides a meal for all the brothers and gives Benjamin five times as much food as all the others.
C: But, Joseph’s test is not over. Before he reveals himself to them, he’s got to know if they really have changed and would even want to see him again. So he’s going to give them a pretext for getting rid of Benjamin. So, he frames him. He places a golden cup in Benjamin’s sack and sends them off. Later, Egyptian soldiers stop them and accuse them of stealing. The cup is found in Benjamin’s sack, and they are brought back to Egypt to the presence of Joseph.
F: There, Joseph tells them that Benjamin shall remain behind as a slave, but the rest of them can return to their father in peace.
D: At that point we have that touching scene where Judah, who was the very brother that first suggested that they sell Joseph as a slave, comes forward and offers himself in Benjamin’s place. So now, Joseph knows. They’ve been given a perfect opportunity to finally get rid of the last of Rachel’s children, and they don’t take it. Instead, they’re willing to give themselves. They’ve changed and Joseph know it.
A: Then, Joseph weeps aloud and reveals who he is to them.
G: And they embrace and weep and rejoice together.
THE BEAUTY OF FORGIVING
Now Joseph’s life has many, many principles to teach us. We reviewed a number of them last week, and we’ll do the same this week. But, that timeline we just highlighted leads perfectly into what I would consider the second great lesson of Joseph’s life. The first one being what we discussed last time: All things work together for good, to them that love God. The second great lesson revolves around the doctrine of forgiveness. The story of Joseph and his brothers is one of the most poignant and touching forgiveness stories of all scripture. And in my mind, the most powerful way to teach the principle of forgiveness is to feel it through a story, a narrative. We could talk all day about the doctrine and the particulars and the application of forgiveness and still not really have it sink deep into our hearts. That’s why God gives us stories that help us to feel it. There is something about that principle that goes beyond mere explanation. So we have stories in the scriptures like Jacob and Esau, the parable of the prodigal son, Alma the younger, the woman who washes the Savior’s feet with her tears, and here, the story of Joseph of Egypt and his brothers.
That powerful scene of reconciliation takes place in Genesis chapter 45. And it’s all the more moving knowing what Joseph has gone through because of his brothers. Persecution, anguish, fear, slavery, incarceration, separation from his loved ones, false accusation—he had suffered greatly and deeply and extensively for years because of what those brothers did to him. And here they are standing in front of him, under his power. He could do whatever he wanted to them at that moment. He had the power to do so. He could have exacted his revenge. Done to them what they did to him. Given them a taste of their own medicine. Or at the very least, sent them on an all-expenses paid guilt trip, rebuke them for their malice, or lectured them on the dangers of jealousy and the pain they’ve caused him. I think that’s what most of us would probably be tempted to do in that situation and feel 100% justified in doing it. But not Joseph. He teaches us a better way—the Christlike way. And Joseph is a type of Christ in this. So let’s experience this together. And as we read, consider the following question: What impresses YOU most about Joseph here?
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
9 Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
Isn’t that a great story! Do you feel the power of that forgiveness? Once again, just like with Jacob and Esau, we see brothers forgive and weep and embrace.
So what impresses you most about Joseph? To me, a few things. I’m impressed by his eternal perspective on God’s hand in his life. I’m impressed by his love for his family. I’m impressed by his restraint. But most of all, I’m impressed with HOW Joseph forgives his brothers. Not just that he forgives them, but how he forgives them.
And that’s a really great question for all of us to consider. How did Joseph forgive his brothers? How would you describe his forgiveness?
For one, he offers them a “be not grieved or angry with yourselves” kind of forgiveness. He doesn’t exact or expect anything in return. There’s no desire for revenge, no gloating over his brother’s obvious guilt, no joy in their fear or distress. Sometimes, when others have hurt us and they come seeking penitence, we may be tempted to find pleasure in watching them squirm, exact some kind of reprisal, or revel in the pleasure of having them under our thumb. But not Joseph. He “freely forgives” them and seeks to reassure them. He doesn’t even wait for an apology from them. None is expected or required. He can already sense the pain and guilt they feel, and he seeks to release them from it. It’s the kind of forgiveness Christ offers us. We see that in Ezekiel 33:10-11
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
See, the brothers have been pining away in their sins against Joseph, but Joseph has no pleasure in that. Jesus too, doesn’t wish us to pine away in our regret. He has no pleasure in our suffering. He wishes us to “be not grieved or angry with ourselves”.
Also, Joseph offers them a “remember them no more” kind of forgiveness. Throughout the rest of the chapters, we never see Joseph bring his suffering up again to his brothers unless it’s to reassure them of his forgiveness. He doesn’t play the victim card whenever its convenient or when he wants something from them. Again, his forgiveness is very much like the forgiveness that Christ and the Father offer us. The kind that forgives AND forgets. D&C 58:42,
42 Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.
And, Ezekiel 33:16
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
We believe in a God that remembers our sins no more, that doesn’t mention them unto us after we have repented.
Joseph offers them a “nourishing” forgiveness. As opposed to a reluctant, superficial, or empty forgiveness. And there are two other words I would like to add to that idea from Genesis 50:21. Later in the story when he seeks to reassure them of his forgiveness he says:
21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Joseph’s forgiveness is a nourishing, comforting, and kindly forgiveness. And he backs up his words with action. He actually does take care of his brethren and their families. He provides for them, feeds them, and saves them.
Then, perhaps my favorite phrase in that entire section we read. It’s Joseph’s invitation in verse 4. What does he invite them to do in verse 4? “Come near to me”. And they came near. Those are such sweet words. That’s what family forgiveness is all about—the coming near. It’s more than just saying with our mouths, I forgive you. It’s the kind of forgiveness that says, “come near” and allows the relationship to mend and flourish again. It’s the kind of forgiveness that lovingly and compassionately brings that individual back into your life. Joseph invites his brothers to bring their families and flocks and all that they have to Egypt so that he could nourish, and protect, and preserve them. He doesn’t forgive but then keep at a distance. He says, “come near”.
Now before I go any further, a balancing principle here, I understand that that is not always possible or wise. This isn’t to suggest that a person need put themselves in a position to be hurt, or abused, or exploited repeatedly by unrepentant or selfish family members. I imagine the story would be different if Joseph’s brothers still expressed contempt for him or satisfaction for what they had done. Joseph carefully waits to find out for sure that they really are penitent before he allows them back into his life. That’s why we have all those “testing” chapters in the story. Forgiveness does not require us to be victimized over and over again. So don’t misunderstand me when I talk about “come near to me” forgiveness. The difference here, in this story, is that these brothers are penitent and regretful. They do wish to be forgiven. And therefore, Joseph not only forgives them, but invites them to come near and be a part of his life once again.
A PERSONAL EXAMPLE
Allow me to give you a personal example of this principle that I witnessed in our family as I grew up. My dad and his sisters were raised alone by my grandma. His father, my Grandpa Wilcox, because of challenges he was facing in his own life, decided to abandon the family and the church to pursue a very worldly lifestyle. So my Dad grew up without a father, which was very difficult for him and the family. I know that he struggled for many years to come to terms with what his father did—to find forgiveness in his heart for his father. Oh, and by the way, I do believe that God understands that sometimes forgiveness takes time and he’ll be patient with us as we work towards it. But it wasn’t until my Dad had sons of his own, me, and my brothers, and had had years of experiences with us that he was able to find that forgiveness in his heart. All the joys of fatherhood that he had experienced served as a backdrop to a question that he felt God ask him one day. He heard the Spirit ask him, “Would you rather be the son who lost his father? Or the father who lost his son? That question changed everything for him. He considered it from his father’s perspective and realized all that his father had missed out on because of his decision. And with that, came compassion, and release, and an ability to forgive. But it didn’t stop there. As a child and later as a teenager, I vividly remember observing my father inviting my grandpa “to come near”. Rather than bitterly cutting him out of the lives of his grandchildren, I remember my grandpa being invited to all family gatherings: Sunday dinners, birthdays, Christmas mornings, and even camping trips, my grandpa was invited to come near. And, over those years, I watched my grandpa give up drinking, give up smoking, return to activity in the Church, and even serve as a senior missionary on temple square. Without my Dad’s diligent efforts to invite him to come near, I doubt there would have been that change in his life.
I believe that Joseph’s forgiveness also must have changed his brothers as well. This story in Genesis could have ended so differently. But in a book that is full of so many family problems, I love that it ends with a scene of forgiveness and healing and understanding.
TRUTH
So what would be the moral of the story that God wishes to reemphasize here in Genesis?
When someone sins against you or hurts you, forgive them, especially if they’re members of your own family.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Are there any relationships in your life or within your own family that need healing and reconciliation? Those could be parent-child relationships, sibling-sibling, or husband-wife.
What aspect of Joseph’s forgiveness might you need to apply to your own situation? Do you need to offer a “be not grieved or angry with yourselves” forgiveness? Or a “remember them no more” kind of forgiveness. Or a “nourishing, comforting, kindly” forgiveness? Or a “come near to me” forgiveness?
CONCLUSION
This is one of the reasons I love Joseph of Egypt so much as a biblical character. Not only does he teach us that we should forgive others, but he shows us HOW to forgive others. He was able to forgive his brothers not just for something small, but for something big! I don’t know about you, but I would certainly struggle to find forgiveness for my family if they had sold me into slavery. This is no small offense. Remember, the scriptures often deal with extreme circumstances so that all lesser things are covered by them. I invite you to consider the things that maybe have driven wedges between you and your family members. Are they less than this—than being sold into slavery by them? Family members become estranged from each other for all sorts of reasons. Arguments over space, privileges, or inheritances. Perceived or real offenses through careless words or actions. Disagreements in the family business. Unkind or insensitive words from a spouse or sibling. These are the kinds of situations that often require us to step back and learn from Joseph. It takes a very spiritually mature individual to not only forgive in word, but in action as well—and perhaps even initiate the “drawing near”. I love that in this story it was the OFFENDED party that initiated the forgiveness. I think that most of us may feel that it should be the OFFENDING party that should be the one to make that move. But Joseph didn’t want to hold on to that pain and hurt any longer than he needed to. He let it go, and I pray that we can do the same.
Now as a teacher, you may want to share a personal story of forgiveness from your own life to help this principle to sink deep. Before we continue, allow me to share one of my own. I remember that there was a young man in middle school who kind of made my life miserable. He was a bit of a bully and every day he made sure that I knew he was superior to me in every way. He would even go so far as to physically hit me in the arm, or push me from behind, or throw things at me. And I was small, and unconfident and scared of him. He was much bigger, and stronger, and meaner. Well this went on for some time until the next year in high school when he seemed to have grown out of it, and he left me alone. But I always kept this deep resentment in my heart towards him. A bitterness and anger every time I saw him. Well, one day during our junior year he ditched school with his friends and got into a car accident. And I have to tell you, and I’m not proud of this, but my initial reaction was one of satisfaction. A little bit of glee that he was finally getting what he deserved. I know, terrible huh. Well, it turned out that he had been seriously injured in this crash and he didn’t return to school for months. And when he finally did come back to school, my attitude towards him completely changed. I saw what the accident had done to him. His face had been disfigured and he had even lost some mental capacity from the accident. His life would never be the same from that day forward. And my heart changed. All my bitterness, and anger, and spirit of revenge left me , and I actually felt incredibly guilty for being so joyful over the misfortune of another person. You stop and think about it: Who is it that is rejoices at the pain and suffering of others? Satan. What I had been feeling was a very ungodly feeling, and I knew it. The spirit of revenge and bitterness can be a very dangerous feeling to harbor. It’s like a poison that can rob you of your peace. It’s a cancer that can grow and destroy. Perhaps that’s a big part of the reason why God asks us to forgive others. Not just for their sake, but for our sake. I can assure you just how healing it was to all of a sudden feel compassion for this boy. My heart went out to him and his family. I deeply felt the feelings of forgiveness wash over me and it felt so good to let go of the hurt and the hate. I just wish I could have arrived at that point on my own before he got into the accident.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS
Now if you don’t have any personal stories that you would like to share, the church has produced some really powerful videos on forgiveness that you might consider showing. And, I tell you, they cover some pretty tough situations. But here are their titles and you’ll find links to them in the video description.
To Forgive my Ex-husband, I needed to see him through God’s Eyes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pczB4UqgZg)
Forgiveness after Betrayal is a Process
Forgiveness: My Burden was Made Light
THE POWER OF GUILT
Now this leads us to our next principle that also deals with forgiveness, but from the other side of the coin. Yes, we are all going to find ourselves in the position of needing to forgive others, BUT we are also going to need to be forgiven as well. So instead of only seeing ourselves in Joseph, let’s try to see ourselves in his brothers too. After all, this story is not just about Joseph, it’s about them too.
ICEBREAKER
So as an icebreaker for this idea, I first invite my students to find the word that best describes how Joseph’s brothers have been feeling ever since they sold him into Egypt. See if they can find that word somewhere on page 65 of the Bible, or in Genesis 42:6-29. I think the word that best describes their feelings is in verse 21. That word is “guilty”. They feel guilty for what they did. And at that point, I like to do a little object lesson. Now, please, use your judgment and be very careful who you choose to do this and how. Please be safe. You don’t want someone getting injured during your lesson. But I like to bring in a large weight or two from a weightlifting set and invite a student to hold on to it. And then invite them to do a simple task, like unwrap a piece of candy, or write their name on the board. As long as the weight doesn’t have built in handles on it, they won’t be able to do it, without setting the weight down. And then I explain that, that’s what carrying guilt around is like. It makes everything else in life more difficult. It’s hard. It’s painful. It’s heavy. Now we can go through life trying to carry it, or pretend that it doesn’t exist, or suppress it, but no matter what we do, it’s weight is always there. God has a better solution to guilt than just trying to carry it. Joseph’s brothers will help us to understand the power of guilt and the power of forgiveness.
SEARCH
So let’s take a closer look at the situation in Genesis 42. Read verses 18-23 and tell me what this reveals about the lives of Joseph’s brothers since they sold him into Egypt.
This is the point in the story where Joseph has first met his brothers and decides to give them grain and let them go if they agree to bring Benjamin back and leave Simeon there in Egypt until they return.
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.
21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
So what’s interesting about their reaction to this situation? Do they know that they’re speaking to Joseph at this point? Is there any literal connection to this moment and that fateful day long ago when they sold their brother? No. Joseph is long gone, probably dead, in their minds. To them, this is a bad and distressing situation. But what do they determine is the cause of this bad thing? They conclude that this is happening because of what they did to Joseph all those years ago. This is God punishing them for what they did. And what does tell you about the brothers lives since then? What must those intervening years have been like for them? I imagine that every time something bad happened in their life, they attributed it to what they did to Joseph. It was a punishment. If they had a bad harvest, well it’s because of what we did to Joseph. If they got sick, it’s probably because of what we did to Joseph. They lose an animal, it’s probably because of what we did to Joseph. It must have been a very guilt-ridden, painful existence. And here’s what really gets me. How long has it been since they did this? Well let’s do the math.
Go to Genesis 37:2 to find out how old Joseph was when he was sold into Egypt. He’s 17.
No go to Genesis 41:46 to find out how old he is when he is made a ruler by the Pharoah. He’s 30. So how many years of slavery and imprisonment? 13. Then we know that there are seven years of plenty, and then go to Genesis 45:6 to see when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. That happens two years into the famine. So add that all up and you get 22 years since they sold Joseph. 22 years later and the brothers are still feeling guilt over what they did. Even time hasn’t been able to heal this wound. They are still carrying the weight all those years later. Guilt is a very powerful thing. But there’s a better way of dealing with it. What would say is a better way of dealing with guilt than just carrying it? Repentance. Bring that burden to Christ. That’s where Joseph here becomes a type of Christ. With that same kind of forgiveness that we talked about earlier, Christ encourages us to let it go—to “be not grieved or angry with yourselves” as Joseph reassured them. And Christ invites us to come near to him and he nourishes us and makes no mention of our sins unto us and remembers them no more. So, the brothers have been forgiven. But yet, it seems that they still struggle after that point with what they did. Seventeen more years after that event, Jacob, their father dies. And we know that because of Genesis 47:28.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.
Now read what the brothers say after Jacob dies.
50:15-18
5 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
So they think, oh, the only reason Joseph has been nice to us is because Dad is still around. He doesn’t want to disappoint or make him upset. But now that Dad is gone, now he’s going to let us have it. He’s been holding back this whole time. So they remind him of his father’s words and offer to be his servants. Now remember this is 39 years later, and they’re still worried about it.
And Joseph has to reassure them again, with tears in his eyes at the thought of their continued pain:
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Guilt can be such a powerful thing. Maybe that can serve as increased motivation not to sin. But more importantly, it can serve as a reminder of how important it is to let guilt go once it has performed its godly duty. It’s important that we feel guilt or godly sorrow when we’ve sinned. It’s a feeling inspired by the Spirit to help us to change. But once that change has taken place, and God or one of his inspired servants has assured us of that forgiveness then we should drop the weight of it. Hand it over to Christ and allow him his victory over it. Perhaps that’s part of the purpose of guilt. Because it’s absence can help us to know when we have been forgiven. It makes the peace and the joy of forgiveness that much more powerful in its contrast.
Still, we can’t forget the influence of the adversary in this process. Satan has a counterfeit for everything, including guilt. During the repentance process, he is always going to try and sneak in there and give us feelings of shame. Shame is not the same as guilt. Guilt feels badly because of what one has done. Shame feels badly because of what one feels they are. The adversary will tell us that we are worthless, that we are a bad people, bad members of the church, a bad father or mother, or daughter, or son, etc. He’ll try to convince us that we have no future in God’s kingdom, that we’ll always be second-class citizens of Zion, that God doesn’t love us and will forever be disappointed with us. This is not healthy or good for our Spirits, and Satan knows it. Guilt is healthy, shame is not. And, like any good counterfeit, the two are sometimes difficult to distinguish. That’s where God and priesthood leaders can come in and help. They can help us to know when we have been forgiven through prayer or counseling. That’s perhaps another reason why God wants us to confess serious sins. So that another individual can help us to see forgiveness when we may not. They can help to assure us that we have been forgiven. And then, my friends, when that happens, believe them! Accept their inspiration! Don’t refuse to forgive yourself when God has already done so. Don’t put yourself in the place of God and make yourself a higher judge than he! Let Christ have his victory over your sins! Let go of the weight and let peace fill your hearts.
I wonder if our Heavenly Father ever feels the same as Joseph did in this situation. Pained to discover that we are still feeling anxiety and shame over something that he has long forgotten. Are there individuals out there who he has long forgiven who are still filled with anxiety or shame over their past actions. I imagine he too looks down on us with great love and concern. Perhaps He weeps as did Joseph and says, “Fear not, I will nourish you, and comfort you, and bring you near”. He wants to assure us of his forgiveness.
TRUTH
If someone or God offers you forgiveness, accept it, and don’t let shame destroy your peace.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Is there someone (whether God or man) whose offer of forgiveness you need to accept?
CONCLUSION
Sometimes the hardest person we’ll ever have to forgive is ourselves. If there is anyone out there who is feeling that kind of shame right now. If you’re still feeling guilt over something that was done and repented for long, long ago, then, I encourage you to “be not grieved nor angry with yourselves”, “fear ye not” because Christ will nourish you and comfort you and speak kindly to you. Don’t let the lies of the adversary hold you back and keep you from fulfilling your divine potential. You can still do great things in God’s kingdom and your family. What if Alma the Younger had just spent the rest of his life wallowing in regret over his former sinful ways. What if Paul had allowed his past to stifle his potential. We’ve got to be careful about putting limits on Christ’s atonement. When we say that we can never forgive ourselves—that what we’ve done is unredeemable, we’re saying the Christ’s grace and mercy can only extend so far. This is unwise. Give Christ his victory and move on! Yes. Guilt is a powerful thing, but there is something even more powerful out there. Grace, mercy, forgiveness. It’s one of the most beautiful truths of the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. There is something that Shakespeare once wrote about mercy. He said in “The Merchant of Venice”.
The quality of mercy . . . is twice blessed:
It blesseth him that gives,
And him that takes.
I hope this story of Joseph and his brothers has taught you both truths—the power and beauty of both giving and receiving forgiveness.
Now if I only had a limited time to teach the life of Joseph of Egypt, those two principles would be where I would spend it. All things work together for good to them that love God, and the beauty and power of forgiveness. But if I had additional time, I might add some other principles as well. I love the practical application of Joseph’s solution to Egypt’s problem. So let’s take a little time there.
FEAST AND FAMINE
For an icebreaker, two ideas here. One, you could discuss the following “dream” questions:
What’s the strangest/funniest dream you’ve ever had that you remember?
Have you ever had a meaningful dream experience? You know, the kind where you felt perhaps God was teaching you something through it or warning you?
I haven’t had many of those kinds of dreams in my life, but perhaps just a few. Most of my dreams are pure nonsense. But I’ll tell you one brief experience that I had just recently within the past year. I dreamt that I woke up in bed because I had heard a strange noise coming from somewhere in the house. And in my dream, I got out of bed to try and find where the noise was coming from. I went downstairs and eventually went to check the garage. And when I opened the door, I saw that our garage door had been left wide open and there was a person standing there off to the side. A shadowy figure. As soon as I looked at them, they turned and started running from me, and so I chased them out onto the driveway and down the road. Eventually I got closer and closer to them when I reached out to grab them by the collar and as soon as I did, they turned to face me, and I woke up! And boy, was my heart ever racing at that point. But as I sat up in bed, I heard that same strange noise coming from somewhere in the house. So I got up and started looking around to see where it was coming from. Eventually, just like in my dream, I decided to go and check the garage. And when I opened the door, the chills just ran down my spine, because sure enough, my garage door had been left wide open to the night. Now, there wasn’t anybody in my garage at that point and I looked around to make sure that nothing was missing, and there wasn’t. And then I realized that whatever was making the noise had stopped, and I never did figure out what it was. I closed the garage and went back to bed. Now, I guess I can never be sure if that truly was a warning from God, but it seems to me to be too uncanny to be just a coincidence.
As a teacher, you too could perhaps share a meaningful dream experience you’ve had.
If not, here is another idea. You could do a dream interpretation matching activity. Joseph of Egypt was blessed by God with the gift of interpreting dreams. But let’s see how well you do at it. According to “dream experts” (if there can be such a thing) what does dreaming about the following things suggest about your life?
You’re falling-You’re feeling overwhelmed and out of control in your life.
You’re being chased-You are facing a great deal of stress about a situation in your life.
You are lost—You’re unsure about the next step to take in life
You are in a public place with no clothing-You’re embarrassed about something you did
Your teeth fall out-You are struggling with feelings of insecurity or that you’re not good enough
You are flying-Something good has happened in your life and you’re feeling liberated
SEARCH
Well, no matter how you did on that activity, let’s see if you can interpret the Pharoah’s dreams like Joseph. If you’ve never heard this story before, see how well you do. First. Let’s read the dreams.
Genesis 41:1-7
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine (or cows) and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
So what do you think the dream mean? Now check Joseph’s interpretation to see how you did. The answer is in Genesis 41:25-32.
And Joseph interprets the seven cows and ears of corn to represent years. He prophesies that there will be seven years of feast, and then seven years of famine. Now here’s where the lesson comes in. Joseph doesn’t just offer the interpretation, but he offers a solution to the problem this dream presents. Remember he’s helpful, he’s proactive, he’s a problem solver. And I believe that those who develop these qualities will also find themselves with more opportunities, success, and promotion in life, just like Joseph. And after he gives his solution, the Pharoah makes three observations about Joseph.
What three qualities does the Pharoah recognize in Joseph in Genesis 41:37-39?
From verse 38: He has the Spirit of God with him. He’s discrete. (which means prudent) And he is wise.
Now he says that because of the solution Joseph offered to the problem of the famine years. So, our next question is: What do inspired, discrete and wise people do? You tell me after reading Joseph’s solution in 41:33-36.
TRUTH
The answer: Inspired, discrete, and wise people, prepare for the times of famine during times of feast. Save for the bad times during the good. The earth does not always give a never-ending flow of bounty. There are times of natural shortages as well as abundance. This is true in our lives as well. Especially when it comes to financial matters. We have bull and bear markets and times of recession and recovery. It shouldn’t surprise us when we see swings in our prosperity. Plenty is often followed by scarcity. So what’s a wise, discrete, and inspired person to do? SAVE! Save during the good years. The challenge, of course, is to fight the desire to load up on luxuries during the good times and ignore the reality of boom and bust cycles that have been occurring for thousands of years. For some reason we start to think that the good times will never end, and we blow through our prosperity as if it were permanent. This is foolish. Someone who has the Spirit of God with them, however, will conserve resources during times of plenty as a preparation for the future. Interestingly enough, the scriptures even give us a good percentage to aim for! How much did Joseph suggest they save of their plenty in verse 34? 1/5th. Now saving 20% of our income is a pretty high savings rate and would require a tremendous amount of self-control to attain, especially when we are already (hopefully) contributing 10% in tithing to God’s kingdom. But perhaps contributing 10% for ourselves as well would be a good mark to aim for in the beginning and then efforts made to slowly increase that number over time. That would be wise and discrete. So would creating an emergency fund. So would contributing to a retirement account. So would building up a food storage. Hopefully we can learn from Joseph of Egypt, just like the Pharoah did, and implement his strategy into our lives as well. If we do, then I believe we will get the same results. The Egyptians weathered the storm. And look what they say in Genesis 47:25, “Thou has saved our lives”. Joseph’s solution worked! And I believe that it can work and save us as well.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Is there anything you can do now to implement Joseph’s solution in your own life?
QUICK PRINCIPLES
Now. Before we conclude, allow me to offer you just two more brief insights from Joseph’s life that you could possibly share. I won’t give them the full treatment, but perhaps they can give you some inspiration in your own lessons.
PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS
Genesis 49 contains Jacob’s final father’s blessings to each of his twelve sons before he dies. This can be a great opportunity to discuss patriarchal blessings. I usually don’t go into great detail on the actual text of the blessings, although you certainly could, specifically the blessings given to Judah (through which Christ will come) and Joseph (through which all the Book of Mormon prophets will come). But to me, the key verse to the whole chapter is verse 28 which reads:
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.
What’s the message? Everybody gets a blessing. An individual blessing. That’s what I love about Patriarchal blessings. Every member of the Church gets their own message from God. Their own personal scripture. When you stop to think about it, that really is a miraculous, fantastic thing! In a day of such skepticism and doubt, we actually have the gift of prophecy manifested among us and documented even. I’m so grateful for my patriarchal blessing. It has been the source of great guidance, comfort, and inspiration ever since I received it at age twelve.
As a teacher, this may be a great opportunity to share your own experience and testimony of your patriarchal blessing and encourage those who have not yet received one, to ponder and pray if the time is right for them to do so. I personally feel that anyone who is at least 12 years old, should seriously consider getting their patriarchal blessing. If there are any of you out there who have any interest or desire in receiving your patriarchal blessing, the process is easy: make an appointment with your Bishop or Branch President to discuss it. They will then guide you through the rest of the process. The point is this though. Just like Father Jacob in Genesis 49 desired to bless ALL his sons, Heavenly Father wants to bless ALL of his children as well with their own, personalized, special message from Him as well.
GATHERING UNTO YOUR FATHERS
One final thought. Near the end of the book of Genesis we read about the deaths of two great patriarchs. Jacob dies in Genesis 49, and Joseph dies in Genesis 50. There is a wonderful alternate expression or euphemism for death used here that I’d like to draw your attention to. What phrase do Jacob and Joseph use to describe their death?
Genesis 49:29
Genesis 49:33
Genesis 50:24 (JST in the back of the Bible)
They both say that they are going to be gathered to their people, or to their fathers.
What does that phrase teach you about death?
We usually talk about death in terms of the people we leave behind, but what about the people we are being gathered to? I think that’s a nice way of looking at passing away. When a loved one dies it’s nice to think of all the wonderful reunions, they must be having in the spirit world. When my mother passed away, it was comforting to think of the reunion she was having with her father and mother, her grandparents, and others that she had lost during her lifetime. It’s also nice to think of all the ancestors that we will get to meet when we pass to the other side. Perhaps we never even knew these people in mortality, but we know a lot about them, and their lives have inspired us. I know that I very much look forward to meeting my great grandpa Jensen who first joined the church in Denmark--my great great great great grandmother Ann Massey who crossed the plains and died shortly after arriving in the valley. And many, many others who have come to mean much to me over the years. The choices and sacrifices that they made so many years ago have had ripple effects for generations and helped to bring me to the place I find myself today. They gave me my country and my religion. I wonder if they realized when they made those decisions all those years ago that they weren’t just choosing for themselves, but for generations. So remember, if someone you love or you yourself are coming to terms with mortality, remember that death is simply a gathering to your people, your fathers, and I hope that that may make departure from this world, a little easier to handle.
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