Study Guide
Joseph, Part 6 / Rise to Power / Genesis 41
Life often brings things we never saw coming, and Joseph’s story reminds us that we can’t always control what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond. After years of waiting, setbacks, and silence, Joseph was suddenly brought from prison to the palace because God had been preparing him the whole time. In Genesis 41, we see how trusting God’s timing, God’s power, and God’s Spirit can shape us for the doors He is preparing to open. This week, we’ll discover that waiting seasons are never wasted when our lives remain surrendered to God.
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Icebreakers
- What’s a completely unnecessary purchase you’ve made that you have zero regrets about?
- What’s a quality you admire in other people and want to grow in yourself?
Read Genesis 41:1-45 (NLT)
Discuss It
Joseph couldn’t control how long he waited, but he could control how he lived while he waited. What does it look like practically to “stay prepared” in a season when God seems slow or silent? What makes that difficult?
Additional Thought
Throughout the Bible, we can see evidence that waiting isn’t simply an obstacle to get through but can be a toll God uses to shape His people. In Habakkuk 2, after bringing his honest questions and frustrations before God, Habakkuk says he will take his position and wait to see how God will respond. Waiting can become a place where we learn to listen to, depend on and allow God to reshape our hearts and character.
Additional Scripture
Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT)
Additional Question
What can God develop in us through waiting that we might miss if He always answered immediately? Can you share a story where you’ve experienced this truth in your own life?
Additional Thought
There’s an interesting connection to Habakkuk’s whole arc: he begins the book asking “How long, O LORD?” in 1:1, intentionally waits for God’s response in 2:1, and ends in chapter 3 able to rejoice in God even if his circumstances don’t improve. Waiting didn’t merely get Habakkuk from a question to an answer; God used it to transform the posture of the person asking.
We can be quick to turn to God when we feel powerless but just as quick to rely on ourselves when we feel capable. Joseph had every opportunity to impress Pharaoh, promote himself, or take credit for his gift, but instead immediately pointed to God (vs.16). Why can it be difficult to give God the credit when our abilities, hard work, or decisions also played a part in the outcome? What does genuine humility look like in those moments?
Additional Scripture
Isaiah 10:12-13 (NLT)
Additional Thought
In Isaiah 10, God confronts the ruler of Assyria (Sennacherib) about his false presumption that their victories were based on his own skills and strategies. God scoffs at his lack of self-awareness and confronts his pride through the prophet Isaiah’s message. Like Sennacherib, we can sometimes believe that our success comes down solely to our own strength, wisdom, or ability.
Additional Question
What does it look like to both fully depend on God for help and also work with all of our might? Can you think of what this might look like in a practical sense? (e.g., a work presentation, studying for a test, parenting your children, planning for retirement, or another situation you’ve faced before.)
In Genesis 41:40, in response to Joseph’s ability to interpret Pharoah’s dreams and his wisdom to know how to respond to what those dreams revealed, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt. Since Joseph was a teenager, he knew that God had destined him for great things which would include leadership and authority, but he didn’t know how it would all come to pass. How might God be using your current season, even the parts that feel difficult, confusing, or unrelated to your calling, to prepare you for what He has ahead?
Additional Thought
There are times in our lives when God brings us back full circle to previous moments in our walk with Him. Whether it’s Joseph being given another opportunity to interpret a dream two years after the cupbearer forgot about him, or God bringing Moses back to Egypt as a God-empowered deliverer rather than the man who had previously tried to take matters into his own hands, God sometimes brings us back to lessons we need to learn again or gives us a second opportunity to fulfill our calling. But this time, we are able to learn new lessons, make different choices, and recognize how far God has brought us along the way.
Additional Scripture
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (NIV)
Additional Question
In Deuteronomy 8, God reminds Israel, before they enter the Promised Land, how He used their years of wandering in the wilderness for some very important soul work. According to this passage, what are some of the things God was teaching Israel during their wilderness journey? Have you ever noticed a time when God brought you back full circle to a Scripture, a lesson, or an opportunity in your life where you were able to see it differently because of what God had taught you along the way?
Apply It
Genesis 39:21
By the end of chapter 40, Joseph is still in prison, still waiting, still has unanswered questions and was forgotten by someone he had helped. Yet none of those things changed what was true: the Lord was with him. God doesn’t promise that we will never experience pain, disappointment, or seasons we don’t understand, but throughout Scripture He repeatedly promises His presence.
As you consider what you’re currently walking through, where do you need to stop measuring God’s presence by your circumstances and begin reminding yourself, “The Lord is with me here”?
PRAY: How can we be praying for you this week?
About the Current Sermon Series
In The Story of Joseph, we’ll follow a journey marked by dreams and betrayal, temptation and waiting, purpose and restoration—and discover how God was at work through it all. From the pit to the prison to the palace, Joseph’s story reminds us that even when we can’t see what God is doing, He is still writing a bigger story. Join us for this nine-week series as we learn to trust God’s promises and see the bigger picture.