Abraham and the Justice of God: Abraham intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18) The 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis tells the remarkable story of Father Abraham, pleading on behalf of two violent and corrupt cities (Sodom and Gomorrah) that God intends to destroy. Among the many remarkable aspects of this story is this: Abraham dares to stand before God- the Creator of the Universe- and call Him to a higher standard of justice. "Will you sweep away the just with the wicked?" Abraham asks. "Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:22-25. Abraham's bold intercession before the presence of God has a lot to teach us about: (1) What divine justice looks like, (2) what it means to stand under God's judgement and (3) what it means to plead for divine mercy.

Since being sold into slavery in Egypt by his ten older brothers, Joseph's life has been filled with hardships.  Falsely accused by his master's wife and thrown into prison unjustly, Joseph has truly experienced his fair share of suffering.  However, Joseph's God-given, prophetic vision eventually enables him to rise to the highest political position in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.  

The adult Joseph whom we encounter in today's reading is a far cry from the naive young shepherd boy whom we met in the beginning of this story.  Having lived most of his life in Egypt, Joseph has even begun to forget about his old life in Canaan.  However, in the beginning of today's reading, Joseph will be reminded of his past in a rather striking and unexpected manner.  Driven to find food in the midst of a devastating famine, Joseph's brothers travel all the way to Egypt in order to buy grain.  Their journey brings them to their long lost brother, Joseph himself.  

How does Joseph treat his brothers? How does he feel about seeing them again after so many years?  We'll explore this in today's Bible Study.

After a long imprisonment, Joseph's luck finally begins to turn.  He's summoned to the court of Pharaoh and asked to interpret two mysterious dreams experienced by the ruler of Egypt himself.  Although the wisest men in Pharaoh's court fail, Joseph manages to interpret the dream to Pharaoh's liking.  As a result Joseph becomes the most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.

What does Joseph and his rise to power have to teach us?  We'll explore this and other questions in today's Bible study.

​After being falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, Joseph, son of Jacob, is thrown into prison. Whilst in jail, Joseph proves himself to be the model inmate, rising to a level of prominence and authority within the prison hierarchy. During his time in jail, Joseph meets two people who will have a very important role to play in his life; namely, Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker, both of whom have wound up in jail due to their having offended their master. Both of these men have strange dreams- dreams that only Jospeh can interpret. Eventually, through Joseph's successful interpretation of these dreams, his life will be changed forever.

​In last week's Bible Study, we talked about how Joseph- one of the youngest sons of the Jewish patriarch, Jacob- is sold into slavery by his brothers. Taken by Ishmaelite traders to the land of Egypt, Joseph finds himself in the service of Potiphar- a high ranking official in the court of Pharaoh. For a while, Joseph prospers. His loyalty and competence earns him the trust of his master and, as a result, Joseph is given complete control over the entire household. However, Joseph's luck doesn't hold out. Once again, he is betrayed- falsely accused by Potiphar's wife of trying to assault her. Today, we take a closer look at this story of betrayal.

The Death of the Dreamer and the End of the Dream: Joseph is Sold into Slavery by His Brothers This marks the second Bible Study in a series centred around Joseph- the 11th son of the great Jewish patriarch, Jacob. Joseph is often called "the dreamer" because he is a man whom God has given special vision and insight. Joseph's dreams, however, often get him into trouble. Indeed, Joseph has at least two dreams where his family members (his eleven brothers, mother and father) all bow down to him. Naturally, his family is threatened by this dream- especially his older brothers who most certainly DON'T want to bow down to young Joseph. So, in order to eliminate the threat of this dream, Joseph's brothers decide to eliminate the dreamer himself - Joseph.

Today's Bible study marks the first in a Bible study series on Joseph (son of Jacob, grandson of Isaac, and great-grand son of Abraham). Joseph is the eleventh son of a family consisting of 13 children (12 sons and 1 daughter). In terms of the family hierarchy, Joseph is low on the pecking order. However, Joseph happens to be the favourite son of Jacob, largely because he happens to be the first son of his favourite wife. Not only that, but Joseph is a young man of peculiar vision, insight and wisdom. In today's reading, Joseph tells his family of some interesting dreams he's been having lately. In one dream, he is binding sheaves with his brothers in the field when, all of a sudden, their sheaves bow down to his. In another dream, he sees the sun, the moon and eleven stars, all bowing down to him. In both dreams, Joseph sees himself ascending to greatness in his family. Naturally, this angers his brothers and makes Joseph the victim of a cruel plot.

The story of Noah and the Ark is a story that most Christians have known since their childhood years.  It conjures up colourful images of furry animals, all streaming onto Noah's floating zoo, two by two.  In truth, the story of Noah and the Ark is one that is rather disturbing and theologically challenging.  It's a story about humanity's capacity for terrible evil; a story about God's destructive wrath in the face of that evil.  However, it is also a story about hope – hope that life can continue on after catastrophe.  Surprisingly enough, it is also a story about God's grace.  This will hopefully become clear as we take a closer look at the 6th Chapter of the Book of Genesis.