Success Training Bible Study - Genesis Chapters 37 - 50

The Fourth Patriach - Joseph

a success training Bible study of Genesis Chapters 37 through 50

There are more chapters dedicated to this fourth patriarch in the Book of Genesis than any other. This should give pause to the thoughtful student. Why would Joseph be given such a prominent position? Joseph is the embodiment of Phil.4: 8.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Joseph’s life exemplifies a life dedicated to the principles of God. As we see while contemplating this success training Bible study, Joseph’s life is filled with ups and downs, favor and desperation. He is tossed from high to low several times. His life truly demonstrates the extremes to which a Christian can find himself.

We see the naiveté of youth met with the intimidated response of those less talented. Joseph, as do most young Christians (no matter how old they may be), could not understand why others didn’t agree with him, why they didn’t simply accept what he said as truth. He, consumed with his own revelation, didn’t sense the level of obnoxious behavior that he had reached.

The following chapters are chocked full of information that is vital to any Bible study, especially a success training Bible study. Practically 1/3 of the Book of Genesis is devoted to the life of Joseph.

The story begins with Joseph telling his brethren about a dream he had. They were already a bit angry with Joseph. He was “daddy’s boy” and terribly resented by his older brothers. He may not have meant to be but he was a bit arrogant about his position.

To add insult to already injured egos, Joseph, after having been sent by his father to stay with his bothers and the flocks was a bit of a tattler . The brothers resented the presence of Joseph. They knew that their father favored him and this really caused them to dislike him.

They plotted to kill him and get rid of him once and for all. Instead, he was sold into slavery.

Chapter 38 is simply a record of the sins of the family of Judah. It’s only true importance is that it introduces the lineage of Jesus Christ. However, it is the Word of God and deserves mention in our success training Bible study.

Joseph was sold to a caravan and finds himself in Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar a high-ranking government official.

The major theme of the remainder of the book of Genesis is an amazing story. Please continue to read each and every chapter. Here, for the purposes of this success training Bible study, we need simply to see that this great patriarch of the Holy Bible exemplifies through his life the transforming and sustaining power of Almighty God. God favored Joseph and was always with him in the good times and the bad times. Joseph never relented in his belief and never let his faith waiver.

When his brothers plotted to kill him, God touched a heart and changed the plot. Joseph was sold into slavery. Some say that this was horrible but we know that we learn through adversity. This was simply a step forward on Joseph’s destiny.

He was sold into the household of a wealthy Egyptian, one of the officials of Pharaoh’s court. This was no mere accident. This is an example of the direction of circumstances by God’s hand that happens when we allow God to be in control. Do you think that Joseph sat moping around saying “Why me? Why me?”

No, he used every circumstance to help himself and others while still adhering to the principles that he had learned and the guiding of the Spirit of God within him.He was in the lap of luxury. Some would say that he had it made. He was living in a wealthy man’s house, enjoying all of the luxuries of a wealthy man. He was living much better than the average slave but he was still a slave. He was living a wealthy life but the wealth was not his.

The mistress of the house, Potiphar’s wife, tried to seduce Joseph but Joseph stuck to his principles and would not betray the teachings of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his father. I think that a lot of men, thinking that the best that they could ever have was the wealth of the mistress, may have acquiesced to Potiphar’s wife’s wishes, just to maintain their status. Joseph would not. He knew a higher level of thinking. He knew that the gifts he possessed were of God and that God had better things in mind for him.

Back to the slammer it is for Joseph. How often have we been in a position of what we perceived to be the blessings of God and had them ripped from our hands? This often happens simply to get our attention, to see if our focus in on the blessing or the blesser.

Through the gifts of God, through the talents and guidance of God, Joseph rises to the highest level in the land under the Pharaoh. From slave to the wealthiest of the wealthy is the plot to God’s story for Joseph.

Do you think that Joseph’s mind was on wealth and the attainment of stuff? Do you think that his attention was on how he could get more? Joseph’s attention was on God and God’s talent that was bestowed on him. Joseph’s focus was on God and God’s focus was on Joseph.

This is a very important lesson for us to learn in our success training Bible study. We must realize that our focus, our attentions, every action and reaction of ours needs to be directed toward God, The Holy One. While we focus on Him, He will be focusing on us.

So here we will end the success training Bible study for the Book of Genesis. There are 50 Chapters. You need to read every one of them for your own edification. We have covered material in all of the chapters of this wonderful book that relate directly to our success training. All of them are written for our success and should be read as such but this is the material that we needed to cover for this course.

There will be a similar study done for each of the books of the Holy Bible. The purpose of this study is for the enlightenment of Christians. Each and every Christian needs to substantiate that God through Christ and the Holy Spirit wants the success of all Christian believers. This study will not only deal with the theory but also the practical application.