A New Series – Joseph the Rejected, yet Chosen, Leader: Genesis 37-50

We find, in Joseph’s account, the every day drama of human life.
There’s a foolish parent, Jacob, repeating the mistakes of the past. There’s a younger brother who can’t keep his mouth shut, and doesn’t realise how impertinent, disrespectful, his actions are. There’s fraternal jealousy. There’s violence in the family. There’s the experience of being an alien in a foreign land. False allegation. The imprisonment of the innocent. There’s famine- natural disaster to deal with (don’t we know about natural disasters in Australia). There’s unexpected success. There is romance. New friendships. There is a struggle to forgive. There’s an old man consoled in his final days.

On the human level, at the layer that deals with very frail, struggling, human characters, this is a marvellous account. So true, engaging, & relevant. Yet let us peel back this human layer and discover: a divine purpose for a people; a rejected, yet chosen leader.

Let us recognise the greatest rejected, yet chosen, leader of all.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to All Women who Care and Nurture. We Thank God for You! 

Reflection Questions 

1.  Take five minutes to write down all the facts you can remember about the life of Joseph. What do you feel the Joseph account is about?

 

2. Read Genesis 37.1-11. Take a pen and underline or highlight whatever stands out to you at first reading. 

3. Reread Genesis 37.1-11.  Is there anything in this account so far that is the different to your initial expectations  of the story?

4. Where do we see  virtues or vices in the human characters of this passage?

 

5. How is God at work, raising up Joseph to be his chosen leader?

 

6. How do we see Joseph rejected in Genesis 37.1-11?

7. What other examples of rejected yet chosen leaders can you think of, from the Bible?  

8. How does knowing God’s typical way of working- through rejected yet chosen leaders- help the church today in her trials and persecution?