Here are some questions I might pose to my Sabbath School class to get the discussion started:

1. As Joseph was elevated to high office, what new challenges did he face?

2. How did Joseph keep from being contaminated by the sensual Egyptian civilization around him?

End of Beginning seems a rather strange title for this story don't you think? What exactly is it referring to?

annie

Genesis is "the Book of Beginnings" -- it tells us the story of the beginnings of this world, and actually covers quite a long period of time. The story that we are now studying is, in fact, the "end of the beginnings" -- those beginning stories. We are now ready to move on to the next section of history, the move from the "Patriarchal age", where the father of the family was the patriarch who was responsible for the physical and spiritual leading of his large extended family, plus all of the servants.

Coming in to Exodus we see the change from the patriarchal system to that of the establishment of a nation -- the nation of Israel, God's chosen people who were given the task of spreading the news of the goodness of God to the nations around them. The remainder of the Old Testament fills in the details of this -- showing us God's love and patience with stubborn human beings.

Beryl

Thank you Beryl, now that puts things into perspective for me!

annie