In Genesis 50, we come to the conclusion of the book, which focuses on Joseph. All of Genesis focused on God’s promise to send a savior and His faithfulness to keep that promise by preserving his people. And there isn’t a person in all of Genesis that prefigured that savior more than Jospeh. So as Genesis concludes we highlight two theme in Joseph’s last days: 1) sorrow and 2) hope. Two themes that really faithfully summarize the entire story of Genesis.

In Genesis 49, we find Jacob continuing to bless his sons on his death bed. The most important thing Jacob does before he passes is to pass on God’s covenant blessings, promises, and obligations to his sons.

In Genesis 48, Jacob is on his deathbed and for the next two chapters, he will be passing down the covenant blessings and obligations to his sons But here, he begins by blessing Joseph and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

In Genesis 47, God demonstrates his covenant faithfulness and providential care for Israel by providing for them and prospering them as they sojourn in Egypt.

In Genesis 46, Jacob and his family begin their pilgrimage into Egypt. There they’ll remain strangers and aliens outside the land of promise for over 400 years. As they begin this journey, we find God strengthening Jacob in three main ways: 1) God revives Jacob’s worship, 2) God reassures Jacob of covenant promises, and 3) God restores Jacob’s relationship with Joseph.

In Genesis 45, Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers. By God’s grace peace is restored to them and Joseph sends them back to retrieve their father. There are two big ideas this story: 1) God reconciles the sons of Jacob and 2) God revives the soul of Jacob.

Real change is hard to come by. But in Genesis 43-44, that’s what we find in the sons of Jacob. Genuine repentance over sin that is willing to humbly embrace the providential discipline of God. True change is one of the clearest indicators that someone belongs to Christ. We walk through this story in four scenes: 1) Jacob sends his sons to Egypt, 2) Jospeh welcomes his brothers, 3) Joseph tests his brothers, and 4) Judah offers himself in place of Benjamin.

In Genesis 42, through his providential hand, God exposes the guilt of Joseph’s brothers and father. The reason God does this is because he loves his people too much to leave us in our sins. In love, he will always come for us and restore us to himself. We walk through this story in 3 parts: 1) Confronted by the LORD, 2) Convicted by the LORD, and 3) Afflicted by the LORD.

In Genesis 41, Joseph is finally exalted out of his affliction. God sovereignly providentially works on Joseph’s behalf to raise him up out of the pit and seat him at the right hand of power in Egypt, thereby saving the nations from global calamity. This text reminds believers that we too will be exalted and reign with Christ. We walk through this story in three parts: 1) The impotence of Pharaoh, 2) the exaltation of Joseph, and 3) the realization of divine-promises.

In Genesis 40, we continue to walk through the darkest times of Joseph’s life. Although Joseph might be forgotten in prison by men, he is never once forsaken by God. This is important because we’re all tempted to allow our view of God’s character and purposes to be determined and influenced by how poorly or how well our circumstances go, but like Joseph we must steady our hope on God alone. We walk through this story in three parts: 1) Joseph Ministers, 2) Joseph Interprets, and 3) Joseph’s Forgotten.

In Genesis 39, we are reintroduced to Joseph and his extreme sufferings as an Egyptian slave. Yet, in the midst of his affliction, God remains with Joseph, blessing Joseph and causing all that he does to succeed. Instead of being overcome by his sorrow and suffering, by God’s grace Joseph is transformed and is enabled to flourish in the midst of injustice and affliction. We walk through this story in 3 parts: 1) God’s blessing in Potiphar’s house, 2) God’s protection from Potiphar’s wife, and 3) God’s blessing in Pharaoh’s prison.

In Genesis 37, we find God’s wise providential hand working through the worst of Joseph’s experiences. God is always working in every detail of human history to accomplish his purposes for redemption. This will be abundantly clear through Joseph’s life and it is clear in our lives as well. We comfort ourselves and comfort one another in the providence of God. There are three main parts to this story: 1) Joseph’s dreams, 2) Joseph’s death, and 3) Jacob’s deception.