Day 1 (Monday)
Genesis 50:4-26 (Jacob’s Burial, Joseph Forgives his Brothers, Death of Joseph)
Last time, we saw Jacob’s final words to all twelve of his sons, in which he spoke to some of their past sins, blessed others, and prophesied to the rest what would happen to their descendants. Having said these things, he finally died, and Joseph had his body embalmed, according to the custom and expertise of the Egyptians, and they mourned for Jacob for seventy days. We remember, however, that Jacob severely charged Joseph to NOT bury him in Egypt, so this time, we will see what Joseph does.
Jacob’s Burial
4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 My father made me swear, saying, ‘I am about to die: in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.’ Now therefore let me go up, I pray you, and bury my father; then I will return.” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; it was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation; and he made a mourning for his father seven days.
11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named A′bel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field at Mach-pe′lah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
Joseph Forgives His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph, Forgive, I pray you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, we pray you, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”
Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him, and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Fear not, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he reassured them and comforted them.
Joseph’s Last Days and Death
22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw E′phraim’s children of the third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manas′seh were born upon Joseph’s knees. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die; but God will visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph took an oath of the sons of Israel, saying, “God will visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Reading 13 – 660 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that Joseph repeats to his brothers his words from before, that he forgives them, and that even though they intended and did evil to him, God meant it for good, and used it to save them and all their households. From that point, he protected and cared for them as long as he lived. Then, when he dies, he gives to those who survive, who are probably not his brothers, but his nephews at this point, a similar command that his father Jacob had given to him, that they are to carry his body out of Egypt when God visits them and brings them out. This is the end of the book of Genesis…we may remember that, in the book of Exodus, it begins immediately by saying that another Pharaoh arose, who did not know Joseph, and he enslaved the children of Israel, and from there, the story continues. But indeed, it is noted in Exodus that when they leave, they do carry Joseph’s body with them, so that he can be buried in the Promised Land.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Joseph and Aseneth – 9
Last time (two weeks ago), we saw Aseneth return from washing and dressing herself, at the direction of the Man from Heaven, and when she returned, He blessed her and told her that she would be the bride of Joseph, and then He said more things to her that made less sense in the literal frame, but which fell easily into place once we understand that Aseneth is functioning here as a type of the Church. In that sense she is indeed a City of Refuge, in which all the nations find peace and salvation, and she has indeed put on the bridal garment prepared for her from eternity, in being baptized into Christ and putting on Christ. This time, we will see her conversation with the Man from Heaven continue as she offers Him food, in the same way that Samson’s parents offered food to the Angel of the Lord in Judges 13.
James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament: Expansions of the “Old Testament” and Legends, Wisdom, and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic Works, vol. 2 (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1985), 202–238.
Aseneth invites the heavenly man to take food. The mysterious honeycomb which is bread of life
13 And Aseneth said. “If I have found favor in your sight, Lord, and will know that you will do all your words that you have spoken to me, let your maidservant speak before you.” 14 And the man said to her, “Speak (up).” And Aseneth stretched out her right hand and put (14) it on his knees and said to him, “I beg you, Lord, sit down a little on this bed, because this bed is pure and undefiled, and a man or woman never sat on it. And I will set a table before you, and bring you bread and you will eat, and bring you from my storeroom old and good wine, the exhalation of which will go up till heaven, and you will drink from it. And after this you will go out (on) your way.” 15 And the man said to her, “Hurry and bring (it) quickly.”
16 1 (1) And Aseneth hurried and set a new table before him and went to provide bread for him. And the man said to her, “Bring me also a honeycomb.” 2 (2) And Aseneth stood still and was distressed, because she did not have a honeycomb in her storeroom. 3 (3) And the man said to her, “Why do you stand still?” 4 And Aseneth said, “I will send a boy to the suburb, because the field which is our inheritance is close, and he will quickly bring you a honeycomb from there, and I will set (it) before you, Lord.” 5 And the man said to her, “Proceed and enter your storeroom, and you will find a honeycomb lying upon the table. Pick it up and bring (it) here.” 6 And Aseneth said, “Lord, a honeycomb is not in my storeroom.” 7 And the man said, “Proceed and you will find (one).”
8 (4) And Aseneth entered her storeroom and found a honeycomb lying on the table. And the comb was big and white as snow and full of honey. And that honey was like dew from heaven and its exhalation like breath of life. 9 And Aseneth wondered and said in herself, Did then this comb come out of the man’s mouth, because its exhalation is like the breath of this man’s mouth? 10 (5) And Aseneth took that comb and brought it to the man, and put it on the table which she had prepared before him.
And the man said to her, “How is it that you said that a honeycomb is not in my storeroom? And behold, you have brought a wonderful honeycomb.” 11 (6) And Aseneth was afraid and said, “Lord, I did not have a honeycomb in my storeroom at any time, but you spoke and it came into being. Surely this came out of your mouth, because its exhalation is like breath of your mouth.”
And the man smiled at Aseneth’s understanding, 12,13 (7) and called her to himself, and stretched out his right hand, and grasped her head and shook her head with his right hand. And Aseneth was afraid of the man’s hand, because sparks shot forth from his hand as from bubbling (melted) iron. And Aseneth looked, gazing with her eyes at the man’s hand. 14 And the man saw (it) and smiled and said, “Happy are you, Aseneth, because the ineffable mysteries of the Most High have been revealed to you, and happy (are) all who attach themselves to the Lord God in repentance, because they will eat from this comb. For this (8) comb is (full of the) spirit of life. And the bees of the paradise of delight have made this from the dew of the roses of life that are in the paradise of God. And all the angels of God eat of it and all the chosen of God and all the sons of the Most High, because this is a comb of life, and everyone who eats of it will not die for ever (and) ever.”
15 (9) And the man stretched out his right hand and broke a small portion off the comb, and he himself ate and what was left he put with his hand into Aseneth’s mouth, and said to her, “Eat.” And she ate. 16 And the man said to Aseneth, “Behold, you have eaten bread of life, and drunk a cup of immortality, and been anointed with ointment of incorruptibility. Behold, from today your flesh (will) flourish like flowers of life from the ground of the Most High, and your bones will grow strong like the cedars of the paradise of delight of God, and untiring powers will embrace you, and your youth will not see old age, and your beauty will not fail for ever. And you shall be like a walled mother-city of all who take refuge with the name of the Lord God, the king of the ages.” 16x And the man stretched out his right hand and touched the comb where he had broken off (a portion), and it was restored and filled up, and at once it became whole as it was in the beginning.
872 words
Reading 9
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that Aseneth offers here to give food to the Man from Heaven, but in the end He is the one who provides the food for her to give to Him, and indeed He is the one who feeds her, although He partakes as well. We may well see in this an image of the Eucharist, in which the Lord is the One Who offers and is offered, and in which it is His gifts which are offered to Him for the sake of all and for all. The use of honeycomb here may simply reflect that this Food which God gives to us is indeed the sweetest and most desirable of all food. The words that He speaks to her after she has eaten from the honeycomb are very similar, as well, to what are said after we receive Holy Communion: “Behold, this has touched your lips, and the Lord takes away your iniquities, and your sins are covered.”)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 3 (Friday)
Acts 8:4-25 (Philip Preaches in Samaria)
Last week, we saw Stephen conclude his defense before the Sanhedrin by indicting them all for their rejection of the Lord, as children indeed of the children of Israel under Moses, who had constantly rejected his guidance and rebelled against him and against God. At the end, he raised his eyes to heaven and proclaimed that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and this stirred them to utter madness, and they rushed at him, dragged him away, and stoned him. After his death, Saul of Tarsus began a violent persecution of the Church, and those who were not thrown into prison scattered from Jerusalem. This time, we will see where some of them go.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. 6 The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7 for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John[d] laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.” 24 Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you[e] have said may happen to me.”
25 Now after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
Reading 14 – 476 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note two things. First, that although Philip can baptize, he cannot lay hands on those who have been baptized for them to receive the Holy Spirit; this requires the Apostles themselves, and this laying on of hands is at the root of the consecration of the Chrism, by which the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit is granted even to the present day to those who have been baptized. Second, we should note the presence of Simon Magus, this magician who desires to pay for the power of the Apostles. Although he appears to repent here, the oldest traditions of the Church say that he apostatized and became the originator of the terrible heresy of Gnosticism which plagued the Church for centuries.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?