Plots "Getting the birthright", "Wonderful dream" or "Jacob's ladder. Jacob's Dream - commentary on the daily chapter Jacob's Wonderful Dream

1. And Isaac called Jacob - Agreeing with the proposal of Rebekah, Isaac sent Jacob to Mesopotamia (Gen.25:20). Whether or not Isaac knew of Esau's plot, he still knew that it would be wiser for Jacob and Esau to separate from each other until the tense situation in the house eased.

4. And may the blessing of Abraham give you- The family thread was officially supposed to be preserved through Jacob. Consequently, the blessings repeatedly promised to Abraham have now been transferred to Jacob (Gen. 17:2-3, 22:16-18). He left his home with guilt, but also with the blessing of his father.

5. And Isaac let Jacob go, and he went to Mesopotamia to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramean- see ch.25:20. Moses deliberately puts the name of Jacob ahead of the name of Esau, since henceforth not only the birthright belongs to Jacob, but also the blessing of Abraham.

9. And Esau went to Ishmael- In the blessing that Jacob received from Isaac, and also in the command to Jacob to take a wife from relatives in Mesopotamia, Esau saw the deep-rooted dislike that his parents had for his Hittite wives. No doubt intending to please his parents, he went to take a wife from the family of his grandfather Abram, just as Jacob was told to choose a wife from the family of Laban, his maternal uncle (Mahalath or Basemach, see ch. 36:3), who Esau took his wife, Isaac happened to be Jacob's wife Rachel - his mother Rebekah. Esau took his father's niece to Jacob's wife, his mother's niece. The expression “Esau went to Ishmael” should be understood “to the family of Ishmael”, since Ishmael died 14 years ago (Gen.25:19,27).

10. Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran- Jacob went in accordance with the desire of the mother and the command of the father (Pr.1:8). Although he was already 77 years old (Gen. 27:1), he continued to reckon with his parents and obey their authority. Every worthy son of his parents can take an example from him, unless, of course, his actions contradict the faithfulness of God (Pr.6:20, Mal.1:6).

The final destination of Jacob's wandering was to be a famous city in northern Mesopotamia. This was the place where Terah stopped after leaving Ur (Gen. 11:31). At the time of Eliezer's visit about 100 years ago, Bethuel's family, including Laban, lived in the city of Nahor, which was located near Harann ​​(Gen. 24:10). The above words indicate that after the marriage of Rebekah, the family of Bethuel moved to Haran. Rebekah's advice to Jacob to go straight to Haran and not to the city of Nahor (Gen. 27:48) shows that Beer-sheba was aware that Laban's family had migrated.

11. And came to one place- At the end of the second day, Jacob reached the region of Luz (v. 19), which is 50 miles north of Beer-sheba. He decided not to spend the night in the city itself because of fear from the Canaanites. The opinion of Josephus that Jacob did not want to enter the city out of hatred for them, apparently, should not be brought to the fore (The Book of Antiquities by Josephus).

And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it under his head- Literally "place of the head". So Jacob took a stone and put it under his head. The heading was unknown. In many eastern countries, people make their headboards out of wood, clay, stone or metal. Samples of ancient headboards have survived in Egypt to this day, since they were all made of heavy metals, but there was no need to take them with you on the road. Smooth stone was usually sufficient for this. Therefore, Jacob's dream on the stone did not present any inconvenience to Jacob. The stone is mentioned here in connection with its use for a certain purpose, which will be discussed in the following story (v. 23).

12. And saw in a dream- As Jacob lay there, tired, lonely and distressed, his heart turned in prayer to God. Such was his state of mind during sleep. Only after two days, during which he had the opportunity to reflect on his act, to see his own weakness, God appeared to him. Delay in the plan of God is often a means of purifying the soul and impelling a person to fully rely on the mercy of God. The ladder was a visible symbol of the actual and constant communion of God who dwells in heaven with His people who dwell on earth. Angels ascend to heaven, presenting human needs before God, and descend to earth bringing with them the promises of God's help and protection. The ladder touched the ground where Jacob lay, alone, deprived of everything and abandoned by all people. Up there in heaven was the Lord, revealed to Jacob as the God of his fathers. He not only repeated to him all the promises given to his fathers - the possession of the Canaan land, numerous offspring and blessing over the people (Gen.12:23,13-17, 15:6-7, 17:2-6, etc.) , but also promised him His protection during the journey and a safe return home. Since the fulfillment of the promise was for a distant time given to Jacob, God firmly assured him with the following words: "I will not leave you until I have fulfilled what I have told you."

16. Truly the Lord is present in this place; but I didn't know!- Jacob's words are not evidence, as some interpreters believe, that Jacob saw God in certain sacred places, and that in this case he just happened to be in one of these places. He saw with joyful surprise that where he considered himself alone, he was in fact in communion with God. Jacob's words are in a sense self-accusation. He admitted that it was his lack of faith that made him despondent. Feeling his loneliness, he saw that now God was closer to him than ever.

17. How terrible is this place!- Those who are worthy to have revelations from God feel deep fear and reverence in their hearts. The prophet Isaiah came to a sense of guilt so strong that he feared for his life (Isaiah 6:5). Such an experience led Jacob to a deep awareness of his unworthiness and deep sinful state. But despite his fear, he knew that this place was “the house of God,” a place of peace and security.

18 And Jacob got up early in the morning and took a stone- The stone that served as his headboard has now become a memorial of the revelation he received from God. He laid it for consecration in memory of the mercy shown to him (Ex. 30:26-30). This stone was by no means an object of worship. The worship of stones is widespread among the inhabitants of Canaan, but it was strictly forbidden by God (Lev. 26:1, Deut. 18:4, 23:14, 2 Sam. 14:3, 31:1, Hos. 10:1-2, Mic. 5:13). This, however, does not mean that each such stone contained a cult meaning. Jacob erected another stone to commemorate the peace treaty with Laban (Gen. 31:45) and another to commemorate the burial of Rachel (Gen. 32:20). Absalom subsequently erected one of these stones in memory of himself (2 Sam. 18:13).

19. And [Jacob] called the name of that place: Bethel- Or "the house of God." This name was subsequently given to the neighboring city of Luz. Bethel was formerly the place where the monument of Jacob stood, not Luz. This can be seen from the book of Joshua, where both places are clearly different from each other. True, in other places of Scripture, Bethel is known as the later name of the ancient city of Luz (Gen.35:5, Joshua 18:13, Judg.1:23). This name was given only after the Israelites occupied the city. It retains its Arabic name "Ventin" to this day.

20. And Jacob made a vow- This is the first time that a vow is mentioned. By taking a vow, a person imposes on himself the obligation to do this or that. Since the fulfillment of Jacob depended on the power of God, and since he was destined for God, he was offered in the form of a prayer. It was made not in the form of a deal, but in the spirit of gratitude, humility and trust.

If [the Lord] God be with me and keep me on this journey- These words in no way indicate that Jacob doubted the fulfillment of God's promises or that he made conditions for God. He believed the Lord at His Word. Since He promised to be mercifully with him and bless him, he, for his part, desires to be faithful to Him. In deep reverence, Jacob's thoughts turned to Him, how he could express his loyalty to Him.

Give me bread to eat and clothes to put on- Jacob, who until now had not hesitated to use the lowest means in order to obtain a better share of the inheritance, now in his humility asked for nothing but protection, food, clothing, and a peaceful return to his father's house. He will be happy with only the necessaries of life. His desire for wealth and luxury, honor and power - disappeared. What a lesson in humility and how Jacob learned from it!

21. And I will return in peace to my father's house- In his mind, God was the God of his fathers. He had long accepted the Lord as his God. If earlier he largely relied on the wealth and inviolability of his father's house, now circumstances forced him to seek a closer personal dependence on God in everything that he, without hesitation, used to consider his own. This was not his first encounter with God. It was a deeper understanding and maturity of what it means to be in fellowship with Him.

From that moment on, Jacob began to show his loyalty to God. He submitted to Divine guidance and gave God his thanksgiving, his grateful, loving heart. What progress had been made in his life in the 20 years between Bethel and Nenuel! Grace now reigned in his heart, but the struggle was not over. His evil tendencies remained, and he sometimes succumbed to them. But the principles of righteousness now took a strong place in his life, and he returned to Canaan with a deep trust in God. Under the tireless supervision of God, he constantly continued to grow in faith, until finally he was named "prince of God."

22. This is the stone that I set up as a monument- Jacob announced his intention to erect an altar on this site to worship God. He fulfilled this decision a few years later, after a successful return to his homeland.

And of all that You, O God, give me, I will give You a tenth- Abraham and Jacob both understood the meaning of tithing and regularly returned a tenth of their income (Gen.14:20). Jacob's words show that he did not do this in the past. Perhaps he no longer considered much his own. Perhaps his greedy spirit made him forget about tithing. Whatever it was, but to return the tithe, not expecting any reward from Heaven, but as a sign of humility and gratitude to God for the forgiveness and mercy that were shown to him ... Literally, his promise sounds like this: “Giving, I will give.” In other words, he promised to constantly tithe all his income. Judging by his future life, in which he remained faithful to God, there is no reason to doubt that he will faithfully fulfill his vow. This is evidenced by the abundant blessing that Jacob received from God in subsequent years (Mal. 3:8-11). He, who had not paid tithe for 77 years, now left Canaan as a poor wanderer with nothing in his hands but one staff, but returned after 20 years with many cattle, servants and a large family.

This life experience of Jacob can serve as a good example for every Christian. In the days of adversity, he should consider whether heavenly blessings are withheld for his unfaithfulness in paying tithing (Amos. 1:6-11). Jacob's experience confirms that it is never too late to start a new life in this regard, not in order to earn favor from God, as a sign of devotion and love for Him. The blessings of Heaven can then be poured out on the sincere believer, as they were poured out on Jacob.

Every communication between God and man pursues a majestic goal - to develop in him a character worthy of the Creator.

According to the materials of the biblical commentary of the SDA

Jacob was on his way to the northeast, to the city where his mother Rebekah was from. He was bitter and ashamed: he deceived Esau from his rightful birthright and was now forced to flee, fleeing the wrath of his deceived brother.

The night has fallen. Jacob, wrapped in a cloak and putting a flat stone under his head, settled down for the night under the open sky.

Jacob fell asleep and had a wonderful dream. He saw a wide, shining staircase descending from heaven to earth. Bright angels, God's messengers, moved up and down the stairs.

Jacob looked in amazement at the ladder, and behold, he saw God Himself standing on it. And God said to him:

I am the Lord, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac your father. I will be your God too. All this land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring. Your descendants will become a great nation, and through them I will bless all the families of the earth. Never be afraid of anything, for I am with you. I will keep you wherever you go.

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he could not come to his senses for a long time: God Himself appeared to him and spoke to him. In memory of this event, Jacob named the place Bethel, which means "the house of God," and marked it with a stone that served as his headboard during his sleep.

Filled with holy awe, Jacob made this vow to God:

If You will be with me and keep me on my way, I will faithfully serve You all my life.

Feeling a surge of strength, Jacob set off again. He walked and walked until he came to a well near Harran, his mother's hometown.

Seeing the shepherds who came to the well to water their flocks, Jacob asked if they knew his mother's brother, Laban.

We know, the shepherds answered. - And here comes Rachel, his daughter.

A beautiful girl came up to the well, leading a herd of sheep and goats. In order for Rachel to draw water, Jacob rolled away the heavy stone that covered the well.

I lay down, placing a stone at the head,

A heavy dream extinguished all thoughts,

And the Lord appeared to me in glory,

Surrounded by thousands of Forces.

And whitening like streams of lilies,

Angels hovered up and down...

So the Lord appeared to me at Bethel

And he didn't reject my prayer.

S. M. Solovyov

Abraham grew old, and his son Isaac became a grown man. The father decided to marry him. Isaac went to Mesopotamia in search of a wife and met a beautiful girl Rebekah at the source, who soon became his wife. They lived in love and harmony, but for a long time they had no children. Only twenty years later, two twin sons were born - Esau and Jacob. The boys were completely different in character. Esau was bold and trusting, quick-tempered and cocky, loved hunting, hunted down animals for a long time. Thanks to his physical endurance and dexterity in hunting, he became a favorite of Isaac. Rebekah, on the other hand, gave a clear preference to Jacob, who had a meek and quiet character, grew up as a hardworking and obedient boy.

When Isaac grew old and blind, he wanted to bless Esau as his eldest son. Rebekah could not allow this and decided to deceive her husband, who had lost his sight. Instead of Esau, the father blessed Jacob, the mother's favorite.

Soon Isaac realized his mistake, but did not change anything, and Esau has since hated his brother and even began to think about killing him. Feeling the dislike of his older brother, Jacob decided to leave his home. On the advice of Rebekah, he went to her homeland, to Mesopotamia, to his mother's brother Laban. Isaac blessed his son and ordered him to find a wife in those lands.

Jacob walked for many days and nights. One day he stopped for the night under the open sky. He took a stone from the ground, put it under his head and soon fell asleep. That night he had a wonderful dream. He sees: there is a ladder on the ground, and its top touches the sky. The angels of God ascend and descend along it, and the Lord himself stands at the top of the ladder and says: “Do not be afraid! The land on which you lie I will give to you and your offspring. And your offspring will be as numerous as the sand of the earth; in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 28:13, 14).

Jacob continued his long journey to Mesopotamia and finally reached the limits of the land of his uncle Laban. He stayed with him to serve as a shepherd, because Laban's daughter Rachel was very fond of him. But Laban outwitted him, he gave Jacob as his wife not Rachel, but his eldest daughter Leah. Nothing to do. The deceived Jacob agreed to work for Laban for another seven years. material from the site

Only twenty years later, Jacob, along with Leah and Rachel, was able to safely return to their homeland. By that time he had become a very rich man. He had many servants, livestock - sheep, camels and donkeys. The closer he came to his father's house, the more his anxiety grew. How will his brother meet after long years of separation? Will he be able to forgive him old grievances? .. At night, he had to go through another event that determined his whole future life. Jacob dreamed that he was struggling with all his might with God, who appeared in the guise of an angel. Then he received his blessing for the second time and the new name of Israel, which meant "struggled with God."

With the onset of morning, Jacob's heart began to beat even more anxiously, but he did not return and resolutely went to meet his brother. Esau was able to forgive past offenses and joyfully met Jacob. The brothers embraced each other, and both wept for joy. Jacob settled with his family in the land of Canaan, bought part of the field and set up an altar there in the name of God. Thus, a wonderful dream came true, which he saw in a difficult time of loneliness and wanderings. From now on, Jacob became the ancestor of the people of Israel.

Rebekah heard that Esau was threatening to kill her beloved Jacob. She told him about this and advised him to run away to her brother Laban in Mesopotamia and stay with him for a while until Esau's anger subsided.
Before Jacob left, Isaac called him to him and commanded him not to take a wife from the daughters of the inhabitants of Canaan, where they lived, but to marry in Mesopotamia, in the homeland of his mother. Then he blessed him, said, "God almighty bless you... And give you the blessing of Abraham, you and your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land of your sojourn, which God gave to Abraham." And Jacob went to Mesopotamia.
Jacob's journey lasted many days. Once on the way, he stopped for the night under the open sky, putting a stone under his head. God gave him a wonderful dream to see there. Jacob saw in a dream a ladder, the top of which touched the sky, and the angels of God went up and down it. Then the Lord spoke to him and said: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie, I will give you and your offspring ... I am with you; and I will keep you wherever you go you will go."
Jacob woke up and said: "Truly the Lord is present in this place, but I did not know!" Then he took a stone that was under his head at night, set it up as a monument and made a vow to the Lord, saying: "If God will be with me and keep me on this path in which I go, and give me bread to eat and clothes to put on, and I will return in peace to my father's house, and the Lord be my God, then this stone that I have set up as a monument will be the house of God; and of all that you, O God, give me, I will give you a tenth."
GENESIS 27:41-46; 28:1-22

Continuing his long journey into Mesopotamia, Jacob finally came to a place where there were many beautiful pastures. He stopped at the well, the opening of which was closed with a large stone. When the herds, under the supervision of several shepherds, gathered for a watering place, the stone was rolled away from the well, and then it was closed again.
Jacob asked the shepherds nearby, "Do you know Laban the son of Nachor?" They said, "We know... and behold, Rachel his daughter is walking with the sheep." Rachel came to the well with her father's flock of sheep, which she was tending.
When Jacob saw Rachel, he rolled away the stone from the well and watered his uncle Laban's sheep. Then he kissed Rachel and wept for joy, it is said that he is her cousin. When Rachel heard this, she ran home and told her father. When Laban heard about Jacob, he ran out to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and led him into his house.
Jacob stayed with his uncle and served as his shepherd. He began to serve Laban so that he would give him Rachel as a wife, and served him for seven years. These seven years seemed to him like a few days, Jacob loved her so much. Laban gave him his two daughters, Leah and Rachel, as his wife. In those ancient times it was possible to marry a relative and have several wives. Here, in Mesopotamia, Jacob had eleven sons and one daughter, and later, in Canaan, another son.
Jacob became a very rich man. He lived in a tent with his wives and children. He had many male and female slaves, as well as many livestock: sheep, camels and donkeys.
GENESIS 29:1-28

Jacob "wrestles" with God.

One day the Lord told Jacob to return to his homeland. Jacob took his wives and children, collected all his possessions, and went to the land of Canaan. Not knowing whether Esau's anger had subsided or not, Jacob decided to send him many gifts to appease him.
On the way home, Jacob's caravan encountered a stream. Yaakov forded all his relatives, and he himself remained alone on the other side of the stream. Suddenly, Someone met him and fought with him until dawn and injured Jacob's hip joint. At dawn it was said to Jacob, "Let me go, for the dawn has come." Jacob said, "I won't let you go until you bless me." He asked: "What is your name?" He replied, "Jacob." The one who fought with him said: "From now on, your name will not be Jacob, but Israel, for you fought with God and you will overcome men."
Also Jacob asked: "Say your name." But the answer was: "Why do you ask about my name?" And He blessed Jacob.
When Jacob was left alone, he realized that he was wrestling with God Himself. The Lord richly blessed Jacob because he persistently asked and longed for blessings.
GENESIS 32:13-30

Miraculous dream of Jacob

Conduct form:lesson - message.

The purpose of the lesson:application of knowledge in practice,

Course objectives:to teach how to apply the acquired knowledge in practice; operateavailablepotential in a particular situation; to form skills in working with literature, to consolidate the skills and abilities of working with various sources. Continue developing the ability to analyze, compare, compare, highlight the main thing, establish cause-and-effect relationships; give examples.

Recommendedvideo sequence: D.Fetti.. "Jacob's Dream", Rembrandt Van Rijn. “Blessing of Jacob”, “Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph”, A. Ivanov. "Jacob's Dream", "Joseph interpreting dreams in prison to the butler and baker imprisoned with him", "Joseph's brothers find a cup in Benjamin's sack",

During the classes

Teacher:reads the lines of I. Brodsky "Isaac and Abraham"

Message1 : "Jacob's Dream" (Domento Fetti, "Jacob's Dream". A. Ivanov. "Jacob's Dream")

AtIsaac and his wife had two sons: Esau and Jacob, later called Israel. (Israel, literally - "he fights with God"), and his sons began to be called "sons of Israel." The new name had two sounds: "Wrestling with God" and "Beloved of God." From Jacob came the Israelite, or Jewish people.

Esau was stern, unsociable and most of all loved hunting. He spent most of his time in the field. Jacob was meek, affable, took care of the household and shepherded his father's flocks. PromiseGod'sthat the Savior of the world will come from the line of Abraham, Jacob inherited. Jacob "at the request of his parents, went to his mother's homeland, to Mesopotamia, to hide there from the wrath of Esau and choose a bride for himself. On the way he had to spend the night in a thala. He lay down, put a stone under his head and fell asleep.

At this he saw that a ladder was standing on the earth, and its top touched the sky. The angels of God rise and fall on it, ”and the Lord Himself stands at the top and says:“ I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give you and your offspring, which will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. In your offspring the Savior of the world will be born, and through Him all nations will be blessed.” Jacob woke up and said: - The Lord is present here; this is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven.

He got up, took the stone on which he slept, set it up as a monument in that place and offered a sacrifice to God, pouring oil on the stone. Jacob called this place Bethkl, which means the house of God. Jacob married in Mesopotamia, lived there for twenty years, became rich and returned to his homeland, where he reconciled with his brother,

Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the grandson of Abraham, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was his first meeting with God, about which he only heard from his parents, but he himself did not know anything.

Test questions: What vision did Jacob have? What do you think it meant (note the words of Jacob - "this is the gate of heaven").

Message 2: "Joseph and his brothers".

Jacob had 12 sons. The younger ones were named Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob loved Joseph more than all the other sons and bought him colorful clothes. The older brothers were jealous of him and could not speak to him in a friendly way. One day Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers: “Listen to me. I saw a dream. We were all in the field knitting sheaves. My sheaf stood straight and did not fall, but your sheaves stood aroundandbowed down to him." Joseph's brothers said to him, "Are youyou willour king?" And they hated him.

Heuristic question: Did Joseph's brothers correctly interpret his dream? Do you think this dream will be prophetic? ?

One day Jacob's flocks went very far, and he said to Joseph, "Go see if your brothers are well." Joseph went. The brothers saw him from a distance and said to each other: “Here comes the dreamer. Let us kill him, and then we will say that a predatory beast tore him to pieces. But Reuben, one of the brothers, said, “Don't kill him; better throw it in the ditch." When Joseph approached, the brothers shone off his multi-colored clothes and threw them into the ditch. And they sat down to eat.

Soon they saw a caravan of merchants heading to Egypt, Judah said to his brothers: “What will we gain by killing our brother? We'd better sell it."

The brothers dragged Joseph out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver. Then they killed the goat, stained Joseph's clothes with blood, and sent to his father with the following message: “We have found this clothes; see if it's from your son?" Jacob recognized her and exclaimed, “These are my son's clothes. The wild beast tore it to pieces." And he mourned Joseph for a long time.

Test questions: Why does Judah, when Joseph is in the pit, say, "What will we gain by killing our brother?" What do these words mean?

We, unlike Jacob, know that Joseph is alive. But why is it so important to this story that a man who finds himself in slavery in a foreign land is presumed dead?

Message 3: "Joseph solvesdreams" A. Ivanov "Joseph interpreting dreams in prison to the butler and baker imprisoned with him"

The merchants took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to the Egyptian Potiphar, Pharaoh's courtier. God was with Joseph, and he succeeded in everything he did. Potiphar appreciated him and appointed him the manager of his house and all his property. ButoncePotiphar got angry and put Joseph in prison. But even in prison the Lord was with Joseph. The head of the prison favored him and appointed him his deputy. After some time, the pharaoh sent to prison the court butler and the baker, who had offended him. One day, Joseph saw that they were mourning, and he asked: “Why do you have sad faces today?” They answered him: "We both had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." Joseph said to them, "Tell me your dreams." The cupbearer said: "Iatein a dream a vine with three branches. Berries are ripe on the branches. I squeezed the berries into Pharaoh's bowl and gave the bowl to him." Joseph said: “Here is the interpretation of the dream: three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will return you to your place. Remember me when you are well, and tell Pharaoh about me, and take me out of the prison where I was imprisoned, although I am not guilty. The baker also told his dream: “I dreamed that I had three baskets on my head; in the upper basket is food for the pharaoh. Birds flew in and pecked at food from the basket on my head.” Joseph said, “Three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will behead you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will peck at your body. The third day was the pharaoh's birthday. He arranged a feast and remembered the butler and the baker, and returned the butler to his former place, and beheaded the baker, as Joseph foretold. The cupbearer, returning to his original place, completely forgot about Joseph.

Test questions: Compare the dreams of the butler and the baker and their interpretation by Joseph. Remember how his brothers understood Joseph's dream. Do the ways of interpreting dreams differ in these two cases?

Message 4: "The Exaltation of Joseph"

After two years, Pharaoh also had a dream: seven fat cows came out of the Nile. Seven thin cows followed them, and the thin cows ate the fat cows. And Pharaoh woke up, and fell asleep again, and he dreamed that seven full ears rose on one stalk. After them, seven other ears of corn sprang up, withered by the east wind, and the skinny ears devoured the seven full ears. There was no one who could interpret the dreams of the pharaoh. Then the butler remembered Joseph and said: “There is athe young man who explained to the baker and me the meaning of our dreams. And as he interpreted them, so it came to pass. Pharaoh ordered Joseph to be called and told him his dreams. Joseph explained them: “Seven fat cows andseven fullears of corn mean seven yearsabundance.Seven thin cows and seven dried ears of corn mean seven years of famine. First there will be years of abundance in the land of Egypt, and then seven years of famine. Therefore, a wise and prudent person should be found to collect the surplus in the years of plenty and save it for the seven years of famine. Pharaoh liked this advice very much and he said to Joseph: Since God has revealed all this to you, there is no person more reasonable and prudent than you. Behold, I will make you the ruler of all Egypt. Having said this, he removed the ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, dressed him in rich clothes and put a golden chain around his neck. And he ordered to carry him on the second of his chariots. All were to bow before Joseph. As Joseph foretold, seven fertile years came first, and during this time Joseph made large provisions. Then came the seven years of famine, and the people began to ask Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph." Then Joseph opened his granaries. And people began to come to Egypt from different countries to buy grain.

Test questions: In this part, you once again meet the dream and its interpretation. How is this case similar to the previous ones? Why did Pharaoh exalt Joseph and instruct him to create supplies for the famine years?

Message 5. Joseph's brothers went to Egypt

A famine has come in the land of Canaan. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for bread, but he kept Benjamin with him, fearing that some misfortune might happen to him. The brothers arrived safely in Egypt. They were brought to Joseph, and they bowed to him to the ground. Joseph immediately recognized them, but they did not recognize him. He asked them, "Where did you come from?" They replied, “From Canaan.Wecame to buy grain. Joseph said to them: "No, you are spies and have come to look at this land." They replied, “No, sir, we are civilians. We are 12 brothers, the youngest stayed with his father, and one was gone.” And Joseph said to them: "I remain in my opinion, you spies." And sent them to jail.Three days later he ordered them to be brought to him again and said to them: “Let one of you remain a hostage, and you will take bread to your country to starving families. Bring your younger brother to me. That way I'll know if you're telling the truth or not. And the brothers said to each other: “We are punished for the sin against our brother Joseph.” Taking Simeon from them, Joseph ordered to bind him in front of them. And he ordered that their sacks be filled with bread, and their money should be put into each of his sacks, and he would give them provisions for the journey. Then he said again, "Go back home and bring your little brother." The brothers returned home and told their father everything that had happened. When they opened their bags, they found their silver in them.

Test questions: Explain why the brothers thought they were being punished for their sin against Joseph when the ruler of Egypt (whom they did not recognize) left one of them hostage and demanded that his younger brother be brought before him? Why did Joseph return the money to the brothers?

Message 6. Joseph's brothers return to Egypt

When there was no grain, Jacob said to his sons: "Go back to Egypt, buy some food." His son Judah replied, “We must take our younger brother with us. I promise you that he will return with us." The father replied, "If it is necessary, then take Benjamin with you." The brothers went to Egypt with Benjamin. When Joseph saw Benjamin among them, he said to the ruler of his house, "Bring these people into the house and prepare enough food, for they will eat with me at noon." And the ruler of the house did as Joseph commanded. And he brought Simeon to them to eat with them. When Joseph came home, they bowed to him to the ground and presented him with gifts. Joseph greeted them and asked, “Is your old father well?” The brothers answered: "Our father is still alive and well." And Joseph looked at Benjamin and asked: “Is this your younger brother? God bless you, my son!" At the table, Joseph seated them according to their age. This surprised them greatly. They ate and drank well and were merry.

Test questions: Do you see a moment in history where Joseph's dream begins to come true? Why did Joseph seat his brothers according to their age? Compare this act with the fact that he returned the money to the brothers.

And Joseph ordered the ruler of his house: “Fill the sacks of these people with grain, and put everyone’s money in his sack, and the cup put my silver one in the junior's sack." The head of the house did everything that Joseph said. The next day the brothers set off. They were still not far from the city, when Joseph said to the head of his house: “Catch up with these people and tell them:“ Why did you pay evil for good and stole my master’s silver cup? He caught up with them and spoke these words to them. The brothers answered him: “Are you accusing us of stealing the cup from your master’s house? Whoever among us finds this thicket, that death; and we shall be thy master's servants." A. Ivanov "Joseph's brothers find a cup in Benjamin's sack"

The head of the house looked through all the bags and found a cup in Benjamin's bag. Then the brothers returnedincity, and they came to the house of Joseph, fell down before him on the ground. Joseph said to them, "What have you done?" Judas replied, “God has found iniquity in us. We willyourslaves." But Joseph said, "No,onlywhoever stole my cup must be my slave, andyougo in peace to your father." Judas approached him and said: “If we return without our younger brother, then our father will die of grief. So, let me remain your slave, and let the lad return with his brothers.

Test questions: m can whether count history With unexpected cup? What events her prepare?

Message7 : "Joseph reveals to his brothers who he is".

Joseph said to his brothers: “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold, goquickerto my father and bring himrather here." Jacob went to Egypt and all his race with him. Joseph brought his fatherandtheir brothers to Pharaoh, who said to them:« On theIn the best places of this earth, settle your fatherandyour brothers."