A Walk Thru the Bible: God’s Faithfulness

Genesis 37. 1- 11 (CEB)

Jacob lived in the land of Canaan where his father was an immigrant. ² This is the account of Jacob’s descendants. Joseph was 17 years old and tended the flock with his brothers. While he was helping the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, Joseph told their father unflattering things about them. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was born when Jacob was old. Jacob had made for him a long^[a] robe. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him and couldn’t even talk nicely to him.

⁵ Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers, which made them hate him even more. ⁶ He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had. ⁷ When we were binding stalks of grain in the field, my stalk got up and stood upright, while your stalks gathered around it and bowed down to my stalk.”

⁸ His brothers said to him, “Will you really be our king and rule over us?” So they hated him even more because of the dreams he told them.

⁹ Then Joseph had another dream and described it to his brothers: “I’ve just dreamed again, and this time the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

¹⁰ When he described it to his father and brothers, his father scolded him and said to him, “What kind of dreams have you dreamed? Am I and your mother and your brothers supposed to come and bow down to the ground in front of you?” ¹¹ His brothers were jealous of him, but his father took careful note of the matter.

Genesis 50. 15- 26 (CEB)

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was now dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us, and wants to pay us back seriously for all of the terrible things we did to him?” ¹⁶ So they approached^[c] Joseph and said, “Your father gave orders before he died, telling us, ¹⁷ ‘This is what you should say to Joseph. “Please, forgive your brothers’ sins and misdeeds, for they did terrible things to you. Now, please forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God.”’” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

¹⁸ His brothers wept^[d] too, fell down in front of him, and said, “We’re here as your slaves.”

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I God? ²⁰ You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today. ²¹ Now, don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” So he put them at ease and spoke reassuringly to them.

²² Thus Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Joseph lived 110 years ²³ and saw Ephraim’s grandchildren. The children of Machir, Manasseh’s son, were also born on Joseph’s knees. ²⁴ Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m about to die. God will certainly take care of you and bring you out of this land to the land he promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” ²⁵ Joseph made Israel’s sons promise, “When God takes care of you, you must bring up my bones out of here.” ²⁶ Joseph died when he was 110 years old. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

In spite of all the failures of Abraham’s family, God remains faithful to His promises.  God uses Joseph to keep the covenant promises that He gave to Abraham.  It is not a story of Joseph’s capabilities, instead it is a story of God’s faithfulness to His promises.