Notes from Genesis 43

Here the story of Joseph's brethren is carried on, and very particularly related

I. Their melancholy parting with their father Jacob in Canaan (v. 1-14).
II. Their pleasant meeting with Joseph in Egypt (v. 15, etc.). For on this occasion nothing occurs there but what is agreeable and pleasant.

Notes from Genesis 42

We had, in the foregoing chapter, the fulfilling of the dreams which Joseph had interpreted: in this and the following chapters we have the fulfilling of the dreams which Joseph himself had dreamed, that his father's family should do homage to him. The story is very largely and particularly related of what passed between Joseph and his brethren, not only because it is an entertaining story, and probably was much talked of, both among the Israelites and among the Egyptians, but because it is very instructive, and it gave occasion for the removal of Jacob's family into Egypt, on which so many great events afterwards depended. We have, in this chapter,

I. The humble application of Jacob's sons to Joseph to buy corn (v. 1-6).
II. The fright Joseph put them into, for their trial (v. 7-20).
III. The conviction they were now under of their sin concerning Joseph long before (v. 21-24).
IV. Their return to Canaan with corn, and the great distress their good father was in upon hearing the account of their expedition (v. 25, etc.).

Notes from Genesis 41

Two things Providence is here bringing about:-

I. The advancement of Joseph.
II. The maintenance of Jacob and his family in a time of famine; for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth, and direct the affairs of the children of men for the benefit of those few whose hearts are upright with him. In order to these, we have here,
1. Pharaoh's dreams (v. 1-8).
2. The recommendation of Joseph to him for an interpreter (v. 9-13).
3. The interpretation of the dreams, and the prediction of seven years of plenty and seven years of famine in Egypt, with the prudent advice given to Pharaoh thereupon (v. 14-36).
4. The preferment of Joseph to a place of the highest power and trust in Egypt (v. 37-45).
5. The accomplishment of Joseph's prediction, and his fidelity to his trust (v. 46, etc.).

Notes from Genesis 40

In this chapter things are working, though slowly, towards Joseph's advancement.

I. Two of Pharaoh's servants are committed to prison, and there to Joseph's care, and so become witnesses of his extraordinary conduct (v. 1-4).
II. They dreamed each of them a dream, which Joseph interpreted (v. 5-19), and the event verified the interpretation (v. 20-22), and so they became witnesses of his extraordinary skill.
III. Joseph recommends his case to one of them, whose preferment he foresaw (v. 14, 15), but in vain (v. 23).

Notes from Genesis 39

At this chapter we return to the story of Joseph. We have him here,

I. A servant, a slave in Potiphar's house (v. 1), and yet there greatly honoured and favoured,
1. By the providence of God, which made him, in effect, a master (v. 2-6).
2. By the grace of God, which made him more than a conqueror over a strong temptation to uncleanness (v. 7-12).
II. We have him here a sufferer, falsely accused (v. 13-18), imprisoned (v. 19, 20), and yet his imprisonment made both honourable and comfortable by the tokens of God's special presence with him (v. 21-23). And herein Joseph was a type of Christ, "who took upon him the form of a servant,' and yet then did that which made it evident that "God was with him,' who was tempted by Satan, but overcame the temptation, who was falsely accused and bound, and yet had all things committed to his hand.

Notes from Genesis 38

This chapter gives us an account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is that one would wonder that, of all Jacob's sons, our Lord should spring out of Judah, Heb. 7:14. If we were to form a character of him by this story, we should not say, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise,' ch. 49:8. But God will show that his choice is of grace and not of merit, and that Christ came into the world to save sinners, even the chief, and is not ashamed, upon their repentance, to be allied to them, also that the worth and worthiness of Jesus Christ are personal, of himself, and not derived from his ancestors. Humbling himself to be "made in the likeness of sinful flesh,' he was pleased to descend from some that were infamous. How little reason had the Jews, who were so called from this Judah, to boast, as they did, that they were not born of fornication! Jn. 8:41. We have, in this chapter,

I. Judah's marriage and issue, and the untimely death of his two eldest sons (v. 1-11).
II. Judah's incest with his daughter-in-law Tamar, without his knowing it (v. 12-23).
III. His confusion, when it was discovered (v. 24-26).
IV. The birth of his twin sons, in whom his family was built up (v. 27, etc.).

Notes from Genesis 37

At this chapter begins the story of Joseph, who, in every subsequent chapter but one to the end of this book, makes the greatest figure. He was Jacob's eldest son by his beloved wife Rachel, born, as many eminent men were, of a mother that had been long barren. His story is so remarkably divided between his humiliation and his exaltation that we cannot avoid seeing something of Christ in it, who was first humbled and then exalted, and, in many instances, so as to answer the type of Joseph. It also shows the lot of Christians, who must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom. In this chapter we have,

I. The malice his brethren bore against him. They hated him,
1. Because he informed his father of their wickedness (v. 1, 2).
2. Because his father loved him (v. 3, 4).
3. Because he dreamed of his dominion over them (v. 5-11).
II. The mischiefs his brethren designed and did to him.
1. The kind visit he made them gave an opportunity (v. 12-17).
2. They designed to slay him, but determined to starve him (v. 18-24).
3. They changed their purpose, and sold him for a slave (v. 25-28).
4. They made their father believe that he was torn in pieces (v. 29-35).
5. He was sold into Egypt to Potiphar (v. 36). And all this was working together for good.