Genesis 37-39: God’s Presence, Even in Life’s Unexpected Turns

After taking a five week break from Genesis, Salt + Light returns to the book with a three-week look at the life of Joseph — through the lens of God’s presence, providence, and purpose in life’s brokenness, suffering, and even sin. This first week sees Joseph moving from favored son to sold-off slave, and from being enveloped in his father’s beautiful coat to being imprisoned under false accusation. But through the best of times and the worst of times, the author of Genesis reminds us that God is with Joseph. As he lived faithfully in the unknowns, believing God’s presence was real and God’s promises true, could we do likewise? Even if our answer is “no,” God the Father remains faithful, and God the Spirit will help. And God the Son (who, like Joseph, was despised and rejected, and suffered unjustly, and was abandoned) sealed God’s promises, power, and presence through his own death and resurrection.

If you’re following Salt + Light’s journey through Genesis, here is Nicole Tatum’s teaching on Genesis 32-26, and the the story of Jacob which sets up Joseph’s narrative. This was before a five-week “summer break” from Genesis, where we looked at four types of prayer in the Psalms.