Month: July 2025

When Joseph was take to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. with Joseph there he did not worry about a thing-except what food to eat! (vv. 1-6a, NLT)

Some time later, Ruben return to get Joseph out of the cistern. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in grief. Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”

Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s beautiful robe in its blood. They sent the beautiful robe with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”

Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.

Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, and officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard. (vv29-36, NLT)

When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him at a distance. As approached, they mad plans to kill him. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. “Why should we shed any blood?” Let’s just throw him in this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.

So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. No the cistern was empty; there was not water in it. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother-our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. So when the Ishmaelite, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt. (vv. 18-28, NLT)

Soon Joseph had another dream, and again, he told his brothers about it. “Listen. I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”

This time he told his dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will you mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.

Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to the pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph. “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to then.

“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.

“Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.

When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.

“I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where the are pasturing their sheep?”

“Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.'” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan, and found them there. (vv. 9-17, NLT)

So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner. This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. Hw worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph-a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a king word to him.

One night, Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, the hated him more than ever. “Listen to my dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine1”

His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. (vv. 1-8, NLT)

Then Jacob ooked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. He put the servant wives and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. Then Esau rant to meet him and embraced him , threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they both wept. (vv. 1-4, NLT)

“And what were all the flocks and herds I met as you came?” Esau asked.

Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.”

“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourelf.”

But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief is is to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!” Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift. (vv. 8-11, NLT)

During the night, Jacob go up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man cam and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’ship and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. From now one you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob.

Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. (Even today people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of that happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.) (vv. 22-32, NLT)

Rachel and Leah responded, “That’s fine with s! We won’t inherit any of or father’s wealth anyway. He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us. All the wealth God has given you from our father legally belongs to us and our children. So go ahead and do whatever God has told you.”

So Jacob put his wives and children on camels, and he drove all his livestock in front of him. He packed all the belongings he had acquired from Paddan-aram and set out the the land of Canaan, where his father, Issac lived. At the time they left Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her. Jacob outwitted Laban, the Armean, for they set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving. So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River , heading for the hill country of Gilead. (vv. 14-21, NLT)

But Jacob soon learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling about him. “Jacob has robbed our father of everything!” they said. “He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.” And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban’s attitude toward him.

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.” (vv. 1-3, NLT)

“One tine during the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the females were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Then in my dream, the angel of God said ot me, ‘Jacob”And I replied,’Yes, here I am.’

The angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted females are mating with females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to Me. No get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.'” (vv 1-13, NLT)