Joseph's Faith: A 30-Day Bible Study Devotional for Women Based on the Life of Joseph from the Book of Genesis

By Mary Jane Humes

Discover Jesus in the Amazing Life of Joseph From Genesis

Then learn from Joseph — the man who trusted God implicitly. The encouraging and moving life journey of Joseph — goat herder, slave, household manager, prisoner, dream interpreter, and finally governor (highest official next to the pharaoh) — are recorded in the Biblical book of Genesis to help us learn how to trust God completely with His plans for our lives.

In Joseph’s Faith, an in-depth Bible study of his life, Mary Jane Humes brings Egypt’s greatest governor alive. The lessons you learn from his struggles, integrity, and perseverance can be directly applied to your own life today. Each day of this thought-provoking, 30-day devotional includes:
• Suggested reading from Genesis about Joseph’s life.
• Related Bible study and teaching with supporting scriptures.
• Practical personal, present-day application.
• Meditation on the similarities between Joseph and Jesus Christ.
• Suggested personal prayer.

If you desire to learn from a biblical hero, study God’s Word using the King James Version of the Bible, grow deeper in your understanding of God’s loving control, and apply what Joseph learned about God in your own life, then this book is written for you. Don’t wait another minute to start. Your faith and hope will flourish exponentially!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Jane Humes
• Release date: Nov 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736038949

Mary Jane Humes

I am Mary Jane Humes, avid reader, Pennsylvania native and published author of Bible study devotionals for women based on Old Testament heroes. Currently I teach Sunday School and play the piano at my church.I have a BA in Biology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and and I love plants, animals and working outdoors with my husband Joseph.

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Copyright © 2021 by Mary Jane Humes.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author at [e-mail].

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Proofreading and typesetting: Sally Hanan of Inksnatcher.com

Cover design: Reba Covers

Ordering Information: Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the author at [e-mail].

Joseph’s Faith: A 30-Day Women’s Devotional Based on the Life of Joseph/Mary Jane Humes

ISBN Print: 978-1-7360389-4-9

ISBN E-Book: 978-1-7360389-5-6

All my writing is done for the glory of God, but this book is dedicated to my most wonderful husband, Joseph W. Humes. I said I do on December 12, 2003, to my friend, and that was one of the best decisions I ever made. You, like the biblical Joseph of old, show me in so many ways and on a daily basis, the love of God though your works, your actions, and even your thoughts. You are the best person I could have chosen to be my husband, and I thank you for your continual love and support. Next to salvation, you are the best gift God has ever given me. Thank you for choosing me to be your wife, for all you do, and for all of your support every single day.

Contents

Introduction

Day 1: The Birth of Joseph

Day 2: Joseph’s Early Years

Day 3: Joseph the Dreamer

Day 4: Joseph Seeks His Brothers

Day 5: Joseph Sold

Day 6: The Coverup

Day 7: Joseph in Potiphar’s House

Day 8: Joseph Tempted

Day 9: Falsely Accused

Day 10: Joseph in Prison

Day 11: The Baker’s and Butler’s Dreams

Day 12: Joseph Prepares to Serve

Day 13: Pharaoh’s Dreams

Day 14: Joseph Exalted

Day 15: Joseph’s Wife and Family

Day 16: Joseph Feeds the World

Day 17: Joseph’s Brothers Come to Egypt

Day 18: Joseph’s Brothers’ Guilty Consciences

Day 19: Jacob’s Dilemma

Day 20: Israel’s Faith

Day 21: Peace to Joseph’s Brothers

Day 22: The Silver Cup

Day 23: Judah’s Plea

Day 24: Joseph Reveals Himself

Day 25: Joseph Prepares to Bring His Family to Egypt

Day 26: Joseph’s Work During the Years of Famine

Day 27: Ephraim and Manasseh

Day 28: Joseph’s Blessing

Day 29: Joseph Buries His Father

Day 30: Joseph’s Brothers’ Fear

Epilogue: Joseph’s Death and Legacy

Dear Friend

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Can You Help?

Introduction

The story of Joseph is a satisfying rags-to-riches account with a fantastic ending. The book of Genesis begins with how God created mankind and ends with the account of this very special man. Joseph’s life experiences are recorded in holy writ, not merely for our entertainment but also as our example and encouragement in daily living.

In a deeper meaning, the entire Bible points to Jesus Christ, including the narrative of Joseph. Over the years, I had heard of some of the obvious similarities between Joseph and Jesus Christ, and I wondered if there were more similarities that were not so obvious. After His resurrection, Jesus shared how He had been referred to before His birth. Beginning at Moses (a reference to the first five books of the Bible written by Moses) and all the prophets, [Jesus] expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). With this in mind, I found at least thirty similarities between Joseph and Jesus Christ in studying the life of Joseph. It may very well be that the account of Joseph was one of the things Christ expounded to these men He walked with on the road to Emmaus.

It is my desire that this devotional will draw you closer to Christ, help you in your Christian walk, and give you a glimpse of the depth and richness of God’s Word.

Thank you for reading.

In Christ,

Mary Jane Humes

Day 1: The Birth of Joseph

Daily Bible Reading: Genesis 30:1–24

Bible Lesson: Joseph’s father was Jacob, the patriarch of the children of Israel. It was from Jacob that all Jews throughout history had their origin.

Long before Jacob enjoyed this distinction, he was a man whose heart had been captured by the beautiful younger daughter of his boss, Laban, who was also his uncle. For his wages, Jacob asked only for the hand of the lovely Rachel in marriage. Laban agreed to their union, but only if Jacob would first serve him for seven years. Jacob, enraptured by Rachel, accepted the offer.

When the wedding day finally arrived, Jacob exchanged vows with his bride-to-be and took to his marriage bed his heavily veiled bride. However, in the morning light, he discovered that his now lawfully wedded wife was not Rachel but her older and not-as-attractive sister, Leah! To make matters right, Laban agreed that Jacob could wed Rachel also. In a bit more than a week, Jacob had not just one but two wives. However, Rachel held the more favored status.

Rachel, it was eventually discovered, could not have children; so Jacob turned his attention to Leah, who gave him four sons. Rachel wanted children and decided to give her servant to Jacob as his third wife but, most importantly, as a surrogate mother. Jacob agreed to this, and Rachel’s maid, Bilhah, gave him two more sons. Leah thought this arrangement was a good idea after she stopped bearing children, so she also gave her servant girl Zilpah to Jacob so he could father more children. Zilpah gave Jacob two more sons. Afterward, Leah and Jacob had two more sons and a daughter together, while Rachel remained childless.

This family—consisting of one husband, four wives (two of whom were sisters, and two were slaves), two daughters, and ten sons—made for a blended but very dysfunctional family, producing anger, resentment, and even hatred. With tensions running high, Rachel finally got the wonderful news that she, too, would become a mother! Her first son was Joseph.

Joseph was excitedly welcomed by both his biological parents. However, his older brothers—who reflected the rejection, jealousy, and anger of Jacob’s other wives—did not see Joseph as a welcome addition to the family. But to Jacob, the first son of Rachel, Joseph, was the most favored of all his sons.

Joseph, a Type of Christ: Similar to Joseph, Jesus, too, was born into a dysfunctional family. While he had a loving mother and caring foster father, Jesus’s special birth made for some trying accusations in the future. Many people who knew Him knew His parents were not married when Mary was found with child and believed He was the product of fornication, making Him carry the stigma of being an illegitimate child throughout His entire earthly life.

Reflections: You may have experienced some very traumatic issues as a child in your own family—whether dysfunctional or not. Perhaps you were unloved, felt unwanted, grew up in foster care, or maybe experienced something even worse. Whatever you may have experienced in the past has influenced your present, but your troubled past does not have to determine your future.

You are going to make wrong decisions and do sinful things, but that does not mean you are destined to repeat your parents’ failings. Rather, you can learn from their mistakes and their struggles and determine that, with God’s help, you will not do the same things.

No matter where in life you find yourself as you read this devotional—whether you are married, single, or with or without children at home—as a Christian woman, it is your responsibility to nurture and maintain a good home life. It is the woman who sets the atmosphere of the home. The apostle Paul wrote that the older women are to teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed (in Titus 2:4–5).

When a woman, no matter her age, follows these principles, she provides a loving, stable, protective, and nurturing environment for her children and her husband. A calm, loving family atmosphere in the home is a way to bring God glory. A chaotic home, with members who profess to be Christians but do not necessarily behave as such, sets a bad example.

The verses mentioned above indicate that a stable family is a distinction of Christianity. As society continues to unravel, the need to keep families intact and protected seems increasingly more difficult. Realizing this as a Christian woman gives you the challenging responsibility to do what you need to do in order to establish and maintain a harmonious and intact family unit.

Words from the Father

Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

John 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the family You placed me into. No matter what problems they had, and despite my having a less than perfect childhood, You knew me, You loved me, and