Genesis 45 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Genesis 45

WHEN:

• Joseph was 17 when he went to Egypt (approximately 1728 B.C.).

• Joseph was 30 years old when he became a ruler of Egypt (approx.. 1715 B.C.).

• Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers in the 2nd year of the 7-year famine (approx. 1706 B.C.).  

CHARACTERS:

• Joseph – Jacob’s son with Rachel. In this chapter, he was the second most powerful man in Egypt.

• Joseph’s 11 Brothers – In Genesis 42, 10 of the brothers travelled to Egypt to buy food during a famine. They returned to Egypt in chapter 43-44 with their youngest brother, Benjamin.  

• Pharaoh – The king of Egypt.

• Jacob – The grandson of Abraham and the father of Joseph and his 11 brothers.

WHERE:

• Joseph’s brothers travelled from Canaan to Egypt to buy food during a famine.

• Joseph invited his family to leave Canaan and move to Goshen.  

OUTLINE:

• JOSEPH REVEALS HIS IDENTITY TO HIS BROTHERS (45:1-8):

  • After hearing Judah’s offer to redeem his brother Benjamin from slavery (44:33), Joseph became emotional.

  • He told all the Egyptians in the room to leave and then revealed his identity to his brothers.

  • He asked them if his father was still alive, but they were too stunned to answer.

  • Joseph told his brothers not to be distressed because he believed it was God who sent him to Egypt to save innumerable people from the famine.

• JOSEPH INVITES HIS FAMILY TO LIVE IN EGYPT (45:9-15):

  • There was still 5 years remaining in the 7-year famine (45:6) so Joseph told his brothers to bring their father and their families to live in Egypt.

  • He invited them to live in the land of Goshen.

  • Joseph wept and talked with his brothers.

• PHARAOH’S HOSPITALITY (45:16-20):

  • When Pharaoh’s house heard Joseph’s brothers had arrived, it pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

  • Pharaoh gave the 11 brothers wagons to use in transporting their wives and children to Egypt.

  • He told them not to worry about their possessions because he would give them the best of Egypt.

• JACOB’S SONS RETURN TO CANAAN WITH GIFTS AND GOOD NEWS (45:21-28):

  • Joseph gave each of his brothers a new pair of clothes before they left, but he gave Benjamin 300 shekels of silver and 5 changes of clothes.

  • He sent 20 donkeys laden with gifts to his father.

  • When Jacob’s sons arrived back in Canaan, they told their father Joseph was still alive and had become a ruler in Egypt.

  • Initially Jacob didn’t believe them.

  • But after talking to them further and seeing the wagons Pharaoh sent, the Bible says, “the spirit of their father Jacob revived.”

  • Jacob agreed to move to Egypt because he wanted to see Joseph before he died.

APPLICATION:

• God is always at work, even when it looks like He is absent.

• Looking back at his life, Joseph understood how God used his brother’s evil actions to bring about something good.

• We need to understand that just because something bad happens to us doesn’t mean God is no longer directing our lives or that He’s abandoned us.

• Our bad circumstances may only be the introduction to a story in which God works through us in incredible ways.  

• It’s also very encouraging and relieving to know God can take the sins we’ve committed against people in the past and turn them for good.