Daily Bible Studies

When Joseph, on the order of Pharaoh, sends his brothers home laden with gifts, he instructs them to bring his father to Egypt so that he could see him with his own eyes. Jacob, hardly able to believe that his son is alive, resolves to travel to Egypt at any cost so that he can see his long-lost son with his own eyes. Join the Pastors as they discuss this moving part of the story and explore its m...

This moment has been building for chapters and it finally arrives! Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, and in a scene rarely scene in the scriptures, he weeps over them. With all of the challenges that he has seen along the way, Joseph makes a stunning profession of faith in God and we catch a glimpse of this remarkable display of reconciliation and forgiveness. Don't miss this amazing...

In the climactic moment of the story, Judah stands before the man who is second in command of all of Egypt and makes an impassioned plea for the life of his youngest brother. Joseph watches as the same brothers who sold him into slavery now beg with their own lives for the sake of Benjamin. Join the Pastors as the explore how the story has been setting us up for this incredible moment from the ver...

The trap that Joseph has been preparing is now set and his brothers walk right into it. When the youngest (and their father's favorite) Benjamin is found to have the silver cup, they are terrified. In fact, they even confess that they may have finally been found guilty for what they had done to Joseph. Join the Pastors as they explore this difficult story and the questions it raises for us. Be sur...

Joseph's brothers are treated to an extravagant meal and they, for a moment, enjoy themselves. Join the Pastors as they explore this fascinating part of Genesis and some of its small details that you might miss on a first reading. It turns out, there is more happening beneath the surface than the nice meal might suggest. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going...

Hunger drives Joseph's brothers to convince their father to take Benjamin to Egypt. They rejoice to see on Simeon who had been held captive but fear retribution from Joseph (who they still don't recognize) who has already spoken harshly to them. Little do they know things are only going to get harder... Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going along on this jour...

Joseph's brothers return home dismayed after discovering that their money had been returned to them. Jacob is crestfallen because the only way to save his son imprisoned in Egypt is to risk the last remaining son of his beloved wife. In this crossroads of pain and grief, Israel's family tries to make sense of what they should do next. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be intere...

When Joseph's brothers arrive in Egypt seeking food, Joseph sees them for the first time since the moment they sold him into slavery. This painful encounter forces Joseph to choose how he will treat the very brothers who years before had intended to kill him. Today we discover the importance of his younger brother Benjamin and we also begin to see that Joseph remains deeply affected by the events...

In a day, Joseph goes from the prison to the second in command of the world's greatest power. Join the Pastors as they explore how Joseph's remarkable story points us to God's original promise for the whole world and how some of the unexpected details of the story continue to teach us that God works in mysterious ways. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going al...

After two long years, when Pharoah has a dream that none of his priests can interpret, the cup bearer remembers Joseph. Suddenly, in a twinkling of an eye, Jospeh gets a chance to stand before the most powerful man in the world and offer an interpretation of his dream that might not only change his own life as well as the wellbeing of an entire nation. Be sure to share this with anyone who you thi...

While Joseph serves the prison warden, he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cup bearer and chief baker. The radically different interpretation of each dream sets the stage for the remarkable transformation that lies just around the corner for Joseph, it also makes it explicitly clear that God continues to be faithful to him despite his continued struggles. Be sure to share this with anyone who yo...

If you thought that Joseph becoming a slave would be the lowest point in his life, today's story will come as a shock. When Potiphar's wife tries to convince Joseph to lay with her and he refuses, she turns the tables on him and falsely accuses him of attempting to take advantage of her. This chapter traces the shocking consistency of God's blessing, even as the circumstances of Joseph's life cont...

In today's story, Judah and his sons refuse to do their part to take care of Tamar when her husband dies. What follows is a rare kind of story in Genesis, when a strong woman makes the very best of a very bad situation and ends up not only tricking her father-in-law but also writing herself into the very genealogy of Jesus. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in goi...

When Joseph's brothers scheme to kill him, they aren't kidding. Joseph is sent by his father to the fields where his brothers plan to end his life. Join the Pastors as they explore how Joseph goes from the favored in his family to a slave. What follows is a story of jealousy, anger, self-advancement, and even God's ability to make something good out of those things that aren't. Be sure to share th...

Today we are introduced to Joseph, the last major character of Genesis (and the first introduction isn't great). He rats on his brothers, is pampered by his father with luxurious gifts, and is well known as his father's favorite son. In fact, we learn in just the first four verses that his brothers hate him so much that they can't say a single good thing to him. Join the Pastors as we meet the dre...

Today marks the final major character transition in the book of Genesis. Isaac dies, Jacob is named Israel, and becomes father to his 12th son, and for the first time we can see a glimpse of the 12 tribes of Israel that are to come. Though these transitional chapters may not always be devotional in their meaning, they are essential in leading us through long and winding path that God has been fait...

When Jacob and Leah's daughter Dinah is violated by a foreigner, it sets off a series of negotiations, trickery, and, ultimately, deadly justice. The cost of intermingling with foreigners is clear but the lasting impact on Dinah is left untold. Join the Pastors as they explore a difficult chapter of Genesis and its implications for our understand of the Israelite people. Be sure to share this with...

Several chapters come to a head when Jacob and Esau finally meet in their long-awaited showdown. We discover that instead of violence there is peace and instead of division there is reconciliation. We are surprised to find that the man who was bested by his younger brother is ready to forgive, while the youngest is ready to humble himself. This story is a mountaintop of Jacob's story, and it is a...

In just one night, Jacob the heal grabber becomes the one who has strived with God. This well-known story not only recounts Jacob's struggle with God but how that struggle transforms him into the father of Israel. We find within Jacob's story of struggle and woundedness the encouraging reminder that God promises to be with us, even when we are wounded, and that he can transform those wounds in way...

Having closed his chapter with Laban, Jacob opens a new chapter with his brother Esau. In a story brimming with tension, Jacob prepares to meet his brother (and his 400 men). Overcome with anxiety, Jacob beseeches God to preserve his family and to continue the blessing. Join the pastors as they explore what this story has to teach us about Jacob's character and how it sets us up for one of the mos...

The end of Jacob's time with his father-in-law Laban ends peacefully with the construction of a new monument, symbolizing a covenant between both men (and the nations that they represent). We go with Jacob as he crosses over, away from the life he has created in the outer lands, back to his home country. Of course, this forces all of us to wonder what challenges will lie ahead for him, especially...

When Laban catches up to his son-in-law, he accuses him of stealing his family gods. Jacob, angered by the accusation, invites Laban to search the entire camp to find them. What follows is a story of Rachel's trickery, family negotiation, and even an insight into the kind of unearned blessing that God has given Jacob. Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in going alo...

Jacob and Laban have reached a breaking point and Jacob decides it is time to leave. Instead of talking with his father-in-law Jacob decides to flee unannounced, and to make it all worse, his wife steals items from Laban's household on the way out. Join the Pastors as they explore this interesting story and see how it sets up the rising conflict that is to come. Be sure to share this with anyone w...

Jacob and Laban find themselves at a crossroads. God has blessed Laban because of Jacob and, yet Jacob wants to make a way for himself. They try to best one another and barter a deal that each think will enrich himself. At the end of the day, we discover that God remains faithful to Jacob, and despite his somewhat laughable plan, he becomes a very rich man. Be sure to share this with anyone who yo...

When Rachel's jealousy of her sister grows, so does the conflict between them. In a story that intentionally echoes the original story of Jacob and Esau, we now see two sisters locked in a battle for favor, except in this case it only expands when they also give their handmaids to Jacob as wives. What follows is the literal birth story of the 12 tribes of Israel which was clearly forged through co...