Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 52: Elegant Simplicity

We now move into a new book in the Pentateuch, the book of Exodus. The first chapter is a breathtaking journey through 400 years of history that brings the reader up to the time of Moses' birth. We learn that eventually, the memory of Joseph was forgotten and a new Pharaoh, who felt threatened by the increasing numbers of Israelites, subjected the people to harsh labor:

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly (Exodus 1:11-14).

The king then resorted to a genocidal plot, ordering the Hebrew midwives to kill all male babies. When that plan failed, Pharaoh deputized every Egyptian as marshals and deputies and ordered them to kill all the male babies. What can we learn from this history lesson that pertains to our own quest for purpose and creativity?

1. If you don't have to work for Pharaoh, don't do it. Start your own business where possible.
2. if you work for a good Pharaoh but a bad one replaces him (or her), it's time to leave.
3. Don't jeopardize your success by compromising your integrity. The midwives refused to kill children and God blessed them for it.
4. Don't expect ethical behavior from unethical people. Pharaoh was after two things: power and success. He was willing to do anything and oppress anyone to obtain them.

In addition to the spiritual lessons, let's close with a practical one. Look at the way Exodus One was written and crafted, with elegance and simplicity, and then determine to fashion the work you do with similar panache. What is your main creative expression? Do you spend time developing and perfecting it? Does it communicate the loveliness of your God and His grace? What more can you do to make your work and life a reflection of the Spirit of God, who embodies all that is beautiful and worthy of praise? Can you say a lot with a little? Does it speak of God's hand in who you are and who He has made you to be?

Purpose Study Bible 51: The Big Picture

We do not know very much about Joseph's spiritual life. He didn't write psalms like David or see visions of the future like Daniel did. He was simply a magnificent administrator whom God used to save the world. We know God spoke to Joseph through dreams. When Potiphar's wife wanted to seduce him, Joseph responded, "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

When he came before Pharaoh, he said, “'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires'" (Genesis 41:16). He then married an Egyptian priest's daughter and did not mention God again until the last chapter of Genesis. When his brothers fear for their lives after their father died, Joseph said, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:19-20).

It was when Joseph died, however, that he revealed the secret of his success, and why he was able to survive and then prosper in Egypt. He did so because he had faith and, as he died, shared words of faith that described the big picture of what God was going to do for His people:

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place" (Genesis 40:24-25).

We then read in Exodus 13:19 of what Moses did centuries after Joseph made the Israelites promise to bury him in the Promised Land: "Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, 'God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.'"

Do you see God's hand in your past even when people wronged or betrayed you? Do you acknowledge God as the One who helps you fulfill your purpose as Joseph did? Do you have the big picture of what God is doing in your life with your purpose and creativity? Do you speak words of faith not only about your present but your future, even after you're gone? Are you creating and working with the realization that God can preserve and use what you do even after you are gone from this life? What faith legacy do you want to leave for your posterity?

Purpose Study Bible 50: Beautiful Blessings

As we approach the end of Genesis, we have the account of the blessings Jacob pronounced on his sons after he had bestowed a special blessing on Joseph's sons, his grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim: “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel" (Genesis 49:2). He pronounced the longest and choicest blessings on two of his twelve sons, Judah and Joseph. Let's look at Joseph's blessing here:

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk" (Genesis 49:8-12).

When reading any of the blessings, including Judah's, the reader is confronted with some thoughtful phrases filled with beautiful images and elegant words. Jacob must have given a lot of thought to what he said, and it seems he spoke in front of all the sons, not meeting with them one on one even if he did not have pleasant things to predict concerning their futures. Yet the only tribe that seemed to maintain their prominence into the times of Jesus were Judah, which was Joseph's and Mary's tribe, and Benjamin, which was the heritage of the Apostle Paul (the Levites also had a presence in the New Testament). It is interesting that the word concerning the tribe of Benjamin was fulfilled quite nicely in Paul's life as a missionary: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder" (Genesis 49:27). In a sense, Jacob wasn't just blessing his sons; he was prophetically addressing the good things to come from his bloodline in Christ.

Are you pronouncing blessings on your family and those closest to you? Do you spend time thinking about how you can bless them through written or spoken words? Are you watching and helping to guide the will and purpose of God in those you love? Do you see that God has an individual purpose for your family members and that you are to help foster and promote that purpose? What more can you do to declare beautiful blessings on others?

Purpose Study Bible 49: Famine Finances

Joseph had predicted the seven years of famine and had prepared for them by laying up grain in the good years, but then he encountered a problem:

When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.” “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys.And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock (Genesis 47:15-17).

The Egyptian government went into the grocery business and sold people the food that was in storage. When their money and livestock ran out and they had no way to pay, here is what Joseph did:

When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.” So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. . . Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.” . . . So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s (Genesis 47:18-21, 23-24, 26).

While he was careful to make Pharaoh, his boss, a lot of money, Joseph kept nothing for himself. He accepted no bribes or kickbacks. He took care of the people even though he taxed the people at a fair rate of 20%. (Some dispute that Joseph did good in this situation and feel he actually enslaved the people, enriching Pharaoh in the process. We will not debate that position here.) The people seemed grateful and declared, "'You have saved our lives,' they said. 'May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh'” (Genesis 47:25). 

How creative are you when you face problems at work or in ministry you have never before encountered? Do you take care of the people or yourself? Do the people bless you for your role or speak ill of you? Does your presence benefit those who have employed you? Do you bring glory to God in what you and how you do it?

Purpose Study Bible 48: Deathbed Blessing

When Jacob or Israel was dying, Joseph took his sons to him to receive their grandfather's blessing. This is reminiscent of Jacob and Esau paying a similar visit to their father, Isaac, except that Rachel and Jacob conspired to steal the elder's blessing. Joseph perhaps knew the story and so he positioned his elder son at Jacob's right hand and Ephraim, his youngest, at Jacob's left so the elder could get the right hand of blessing. Jacob did not cooperate with Joseph's plan but instead we read,

Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn (Genesis 48:12-14).

This time, Jacob got it right and acted as a prince, the meaning of his new name, Israel. There was no conniving, no plots, no stealing. Jacob imparted the greater blessing to the younger, as had been bestowed upon him, but without the intrigue or resulting family feud. 

Why did Israel give the greater blessing to Ephraim and not Manasseh? He did so because he finally realized why he received the blessing instead of his brother, Esau. Jacob got the blessing because of God's grace! It was God's choice to bless Jacob so he was then cooperating with God's plan to pass the grace on to another undeserving person. Ephraim, whose name literally means "God has made me fruitful" was appointed by God to be a bit greater than his brother, but there was no natural reason for that choice; it was only a matter of God's sovereign will. It is interesting that every time after this when the tribes were numbered, Ephraim's head count was always greater than his brother's. Why? It was only because of God's grace.

Do you realize that you have a purpose, gifts, and creative skills for no other reason than God chose to gave them to you? They are a token of God's grace toward you and those who will benefit as you deploy them. Do you also realize that you can receive God's grace in vain? "As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain" (2 Corinthians 6:1). Do you see what you have is a matter of God's choice and that you have done nothing to earn it? Are you doing something with the grace extended you? Are you bearing fruit? Are you passing grace blessings on to others?

Purpose Study Bible 47: The Good Pharaoh

The Pharaoh in Joseph's story doesn't get enough recognition for the excellent leader he was. The reasons he was so effective are many:

1. He put the cupbearer and baker on probation rather than dismiss them immediately.
2. In the long run, he retained the cupbearer and "fired" the baker, which proved to be wise since the cupbearer introduced him to Joseph.
3. He knew how to recognize talent, for he hired Joseph on the spot.
4. He gave Joseph unlimited authority to do his job of storing grain as he saw fit.
5. He took care of Joseph, making sure he had a wife and all he needed to be successful.

Pharaoh once again showed his leadership ability when Joseph's family arrived from Canaan to stay in Egypt. He did not promise that he would employ all Joseph's family, but instead said this:

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock" (Genesis 47:5-6).

Pharaoh was not "into" nepotism, hiring people based on who they were related to. He only wanted those in his employ who had "special ability." In other words, he was directing Joseph to hire his brothers if they were good and skilled at what they did. Otherwise, Pharaoh was willing to provide for his family but not give them a job. 

The real issue is that Pharaoh built his empire on the strengths of his people and not his whims or preferences. And that meant his people had to know what their strengths were so they could serve Pharaoh and Egypt effectively. What are your strengths? What do you do best? Do you know your spiritual gifts? If you are a leader, do you know the strengths of the people with whom you work? Do you hire according to who someone knows already in your organization or what they are able to do? Have you hired your family based on merit or relationship? Learn from Pharaoh and hire the best people, and if you have trouble recognizing who they are, get someone to help you.

Purpose Study Bible 46: A Dream Remembered

In the last study, we saw that Joseph was made regent over Egypt, second in command with only Pharaoh above him. According to Joseph's interpretations of Pharaoh's dreams, there were to be seven good years of plenty and then seven bad years of famine. Let's do some math to determine how old Joseph was during his Egyptian service and when he was reunited with his brothers:

• Joseph was 17 when he had his dreams that his brothers and parents would bow to him as their leader (see Genesis 37:1-2).
• Joseph served Potiphar and the jailer for 13 years, which made him 30 when he became Egypt's chief administrator (see Genesis 41:46).
• There were seven good years as Joseph had predicted, which means he was 37 when the famine began.

Then we read,

Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected" (Genesis 42:6-9).

We later find out that his brothers came to him the second time in the second year of the famine: "For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping" (Genesis 45:6). That means Joseph was 39 years old when he revealed himself to his brothers.

Go back to Genesis 42:8: "Then he remembered the dreams about them." Now, consider this question: How could Joseph remember the dreams he had when he was 17 for 22 years when you can't remember your dreams from last night? For 22 years, Joseph had to live in those dreams, hold on to those dreams, wrestle with those dreams, remind God of those dreams, and remind himself of those dreams when it seemed like all was lost.

If you are going to be a person of purpose who experiences success, you probably have some dreams, maybe even some big ones. You can be sure you will be tested to see if you can hold on to them and act faithfully when it seems like those dreams are as far away from you as the sun is from the earth. Joseph changed history and fulfilled God's plan because he held on to his dreams on the way down to Egypt as a slave, in his master's house as the man's wife urged him to enter into an illicit affair, in prison in his darkest nights, during the two years when the cupbearer forgot Joseph's kindness, and during seven years of plenty. Then one day, when he least expected it to happen, his brothers came into his presence and bowed down.

What are your purpose or creative dreams? What do you want to see accomplished in your lifetime? Are you being tested? Far away from their fulfillment? If you are discouraged or just need a reminder that God is watching, then consider Joseph, who held on to his dream for more than two decades, only to see it fulfilled in a matter of minutes. God is still orchestrating your destiny so keep those dreams alive by whatever means possible.

Purpose Study Bible 45: No Big Deal

Once Joseph arrived in Egypt, he first served a man named Potiphar but found himself in jail after the man's wife falsely accused Joseph of sexual misconduct. While in jail, Joseph interpreted dreams for two of Pharaoh's officials, hoping his help would secure his release. Two years later, one of the officials told Pharaoh about Joseph when Pharaoh was looking for someone to interpret two of his dreams. We read,

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it" (Genesis 41:14-15).

In a matter of minutes, Joseph moved from the dungeon to the king's palace and was standing before the most powerful man in the world. First he had to be made presentable and then he was confronted with the command performance to tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant. How would you respond? Would you be nervous? Feel pressure? Wonder what would happen to you if you could not give the king what he wanted? How did Joseph respond?

He responded by saying in essence it was no big deal: “'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires'" (Genesis 41:16). What courage! What faith! What composure and confidence! How did Joseph know God wanted to provide the meaning? How did he know he would hear and relate it properly? As Joseph stood before Pharaoh and shared the interpretation, he said, "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do" (Genesis 41:28). In other words, Joseph was saying, "I told you it's no big deal; no big deal at all to do this."

That is how purpose operates in your life as well. You do something and others may marvel, but you think, "That's no big deal; it was pretty easy." I had a friend who used to stand before a crowd of thousands and say, "Let's write a worship song." He would then ask for a passage, a key, a tempo, and have the band start playing. When he was done, he and they had composed a song! 

What do you do that's "no big deal"? What can you produce, create, or devise that would take others a long time—if they could do it at all? Where does God work with you so that others, like Pharaoh's official, remember you and recommend you to their friends or associates? The reason you can do this is for the same reason Joseph gave: "I can't do it, but God can." It's what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

Don't try to explain or ignore this phenomenon in your life. Just go with the flow and produce results just like Joseph did, whether you are doing it for a few people behind bars or the most important man in the world.  

Purpose Study Bible 44: Geographic Righteousness

Genesis Joseph had two clear dreams that indicated to his family, and probably to him, that his destiny or purpose was to rule over his family. I am sure they all had an idea of what that was going to look like, but always saw it in the context of their home territory in a way with which they were culturally familiar. Little did anyone know that Joseph's purpose would be fulfilled in a land far away as the vice president of the most powerful nation on earth.

When Joseph got to Egypt, how did he know he was in the right place and in God's will? How did he now it wasn't all over for him? The Bible tells us more than once that God was with him:

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned (Genesis 39:2-4).

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Genesis 39:20b-23).

Joseph had a purpose, but that purpose could only be fulfilled in Egypt, not in the place he called home. He could not be righteous in God's will in the land of his fathers when his purpose had to be fulfilled in Egypt. Geography came into play in Joseph's life and it may be a factor in yours, too. God confirmed where Joseph was to be. When he was at home, there was no favor of God—only turmoil. When he went to Egypt, God prospered and blessed him—even when he was serving time in prison.

Your purpose may also be clear but you are not experiencing God's favor. That could be because you are missing what I have labeled "geographic righteousness." That doesn't mean you have to relocate to another area (that's possible), but you may have to stop trying to make something happen where you are, and look for a new church, company, people group, city or nation where you will be welcomed with open arms. For me, that area was and is Africa and I always sense God's favor when I am there. When I am at home, I don't have near the impact I do when I am in Kenya or Zimbabwe,

Where are you supposed to be? Are you trying to make a go of it where you have been only to experience rejection and indifference? Have you visited someplace (for instance, a people group, folks with a physical or mental challenge) where you senses God's favor and help? Are you ready to stop trying to make something happen and to go where something happens? I urge you to consider this concept of geographic righteousness and look for a place where you are welcomed and celebrated and not just tolerated.

Purpose Study Bible 43: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Last week, we began to look at the life of Joseph and saw that his father had blessed him with a special gift, one that caused his brothers to envy and hate Joseph all the more:

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him (Genesis 37:3).

Later, Joseph's brothers stripped him of the coat, soaked it in animal blood, and presented it to their father to cover their dirty deed of selling their brother into slavery. 

The title of this study is not original. In fact, it is the title of a musical comedy with lyrics and music written by the famous Broadway team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 1972, Rice and Webber premiered their show based on the story of Joseph from Genesis and it became a hit. Estimates are that more than 20,000 schools have presented their version of the production since then and that was after the show had a successful run in New York and London. It is fascinating that Rice and Webber produced a show based on a Bible story and never mentioned God's name in the music or dialogue, but that is not the point of this study.

The point is that Rice and Webber had a creative idea and they acted on it. They produced something that became known the world over, a show that is still being staged in many places. The show was made into a movie and the musical has experienced numerous revivals where it first played. 

Rice and Webber did not invent the Joseph story; they did not invent the musical or comedy; they did introduce the world to stage productions. They simply acted on a creative impulse, did creatively adapt the story for modern, mass consumption, wrote the music, and found the investors. The result was something that thousands enjoyed, perhaps not realizing they were being presented with one of the most captivating stories in all of Scripture.

Do you have any creative ideas? Do you think they have to be ideas or concepts that the world has never seen or heard? Do you have a dream to present the word of God to others through a creative expression like this show did? The only difference between you and the Rice/Webber team is they acted on their ideas, but you have not. It's time for you to stop talking yourself out of your ideas and to start taking steps to make them happen. There is no promise that your ideas will become as popular as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but who's to say they won't? The only way to find out is to do it. The rest is up to Lord, but it all starts with you creating something God can use to touch the lives of others.