Day 1 (Monday)
Genesis 43:1-34 (The Brothers Go to Egypt with Benjamin)
Last week, we saw Joseph show mercy to his brothers and send all but Simeon home, bringing grain to keep the family alive. He told them, however, that if they came back again, they must bring their brother Benjamin, to prove that they truly were not spies, if they wished to free Simeon and to buy more grain. When Reuben had told their father Jacob this, Jacob had forbidden them to bring Benjamin, even though Reuben offered his own sons as effectively hostages against the life of Benjamin. This time, we will see what happens when the grain runs out.
The Brothers Come Again, Bringing Benjamin
43 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food; 5 but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so ill as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions; could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame for ever; 10 for if we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you; carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.”
13 “Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man; 14 may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” 15 So the men took the present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph bade him, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, to make slaves of us and seize our asses.”
19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house, and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food; 21 and when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was every man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 He replied, “Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house, and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their asses provender, 25 they made ready the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which they had with them, and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well, he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!”
30 Then Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, “Let food be served.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Reading 7 – 954 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 the drama of this story, with the brothers being afraid for their lives, and confused when they are brought to Joseph’s house, thinking that the worst is about to happen to them, because they know that they are deserving of the worst, because of what they had done to their own brother long ago. Then, instead, they are blessed with mercy and kindness, with hospitality and drinking; in this way, Joseph shows us how to be merciful to those who have failed to be merciful to us. It is remarkable indeed that he behaves in this way, when he truly could have had all of his brothers killed in revenge for their violence to him before.)
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 – 4
Last time, we saw Aseneth first encounter Joseph. She had originally rejected the very idea of becoming Joseph’s wife when her father proposed it to her, considering his foreign origins and prior life as a slave utterly beneath her, and giving full credence to the accusation of immorality which had resulted in his imprisonment. Then, however, she saw him, and far beyond being struck by his beauty, she discerned the holiness and grace of God that was in him, and was overwhelmed with repentance for her arrogance. Joseph, in his turn, agreed to meet her when he understood that she was a virgin, dedicated to chastity. This time, we will see them actually meet.
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.
Joseph will not be kissed by Aseneth, but prays for her conversion
8 1 (1) And Aseneth’s mother went up to the upper floor and brought her and stood her before Joseph. And Pentephres said to his daughter Aseneth, “Greet your brother, because he, too, is a virgin like you today and hates every strange woman, as you, too, every strange man.” 2 (2) And Aseneth said to Joseph, “Be of good cheer, my lord, blessed by the Most High Lord.” 3 And Joseph said to Aseneth, “May the Lord God who gives life to all (things) bless you.” 4 (3) And Pentephres said to his daughter Aseneth, “Go up and kiss your brother.”
5 (4) And as Aseneth went up to kiss Joseph, Joseph stretched out his right hand and put it on her chest between her two breasts, and her breasts were already standing upright (5) like handsome apples. And Joseph said, “It is not fitting for a man who worships God, who will bless with his mouth the living God and eat blessed bread of life and drink a blessed cup of immortality and anoint himself with blessed ointment of incorruptibility to kiss a strange woman who will bless with her mouth dead and dumb idols and eat from their table bread of strangulation and drink from their libation a cup of insidiousness and anoint herself with ointment of destruction.”
6 (6) “But a man who worships God will kiss his mother and the sister (who is born) of his mother and the sister (who is born) of his clan and family and the wife who shares his bed, (all of) who(m) bless with their mouths the living God. 7 (7) Likewise, for a woman who worships God it is not fitting to kiss a strange man, because this is an abomination before the Lord God.”
8 (8) And when Aseneth heard these words of Joseph, she was cut (to the heart) strongly and was distressed exceedingly and sighed, and she kept gazing at Joseph with her eyes open (9) and her eyes were filled with tears. And Joseph saw her, and had mercy on her exceedingly, and was himself cut (to the heart), because Joseph was meek and merciful and fearing God. 9 And he lifted up his right hand and put it upon her head and said:
(10) Lord God of my father Israel,
the Most High, the Powerful One of Jacob,
who gave life to all (things)
and called (them) from the darkness to the light,
and from the error to the truth,
and from the death to the life;
you, Lord, bless this virgin,
(11) and renew her by your spirit,
and form her anew by your hidden hand,
and make her alive again by your life,
and let her eat your bread of life,
and drink your cup of blessing,
and number her among your people
that you have chosen before all (things) came into being,
and let her enter your rest
which you have prepared for your chosen ones,
and live in your eternal life for ever (and) ever.
Aseneth retires in confusion
9 1 And Aseneth rejoiced exceedingly with great joy over Joseph’s blessing, and hurried and went into the upper floor by herself, and fell on her bed exhausted, because in her there was joy and distress and much fear and trembling and continuous sweating as she heard all these words of Joseph, which he had spoken to her in the name of the Most High God. 2 And she wept with great and bitter weeping and repented of her (infatuation with the) gods whom she used to worship, and spurned all the idols, and waited for the evening to come.
Joseph departs after promising to return a week later
3 And Joseph ate and drank and told his servants, “Harness the horses to the chariots”;4 for, he said, “I will go away and drive around the whole land.” And Pentephres said to Joseph, “Let my lord lodge here today, and tomorrow you will go out (on) your way.” 5 And Joseph said, “No, but I will go out today, because this is the day on which God began to make all his creatures, and on the eighth day, when this day returns, I too will return to you and lodge here.”
10 And Joseph went away (on) his way and Pentephres and his whole family went away to their estate.
III. ASENETH’S CONVERSION
A. ASENETH’S REPENTANCE
Aseneth prepares for her repentance in sackcloth and ashes
(2) And Aseneth was left alone with the seven virgins, and she continued to be weighed down and weep until the sun set. And she ate no bread and drank no water. And the night fell, and all (people) in the house slept, and she alone was awake and continued to brood and to weep; and she often struck her breast with (her) hand and kept being filled with great fear and trembled (with) heavy trembling.
2 (3) And Aseneth rose from her bed and quietly went down the stairs from the upper floor (4) and went to the gateway, and the woman gatekeeper was asleep with her children. And Aseneth hurried and took down from the window the skin (which hung there for a) curtain, and filled it with ashes from the fireplace, and carried it up into the upper floor, and put it on the floor. 3 (5) And she closed the door firmly and slipped the iron bolt across and sighed with great sighing and bitter weeping.
929 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 how Aseneth is told by her parents to go and kiss Joseph, and is clothed in a way that highlights her youth and her figure; we know that her parents want her to marry Joseph, and here it seems that even they are trying to “throw her” at Joseph. But Joseph refuses the intimacy, pointing out how out of order it would be for one who worships the Living God to have any intimacy, even that of a family member, with one who worships idols; he is not disturbed or attracted by her beauty, but is rather compassionate when he sees her response to his words, and recognizes in her that she is not seeking to seduce him, but is indeed as her parents had said, pure and innocent. So he prays for her instead, that she may lay aside the darkness and the error in which she has been raised, and become a daughter of God. And we should note the references to the bread of life and the cup of immortality; these are Psalmic references, but the early Christians would have understood them very clearly to be referring to the Eucharist.)
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 5:1-21 (Ananias & Sapphira, Apostles Heal and are Persecuted)
Last time we saw the Apostles Peter and John return from being questioned by the Sanhedrin and warned to speak or heal no longer in the name of Jesus. The entire Church assembled with them recognized the challenge of the religious leaders, their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ and their defiance against Him, and devoted themselves in prayer to continuing in faithfulness to the Lord, regardless of the violence which might come against them. And in preparation for a time of persecution, they began to all sell their property and entrust the proceeds to the Apostles, so that everyone in the Church might be cared for, and there might be no one left in need among them. This time, however, we will see that not everyone in the Church is entirely on board with this.
Ananias and Sapphira
5 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” 5 Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16 A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
The Apostles Are Persecuted
17 Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18 arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.
Reading 8 – 507 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 Ananias and Sapphira do not die because they failed to give all the proceeds to the Church, but because they had tried to lie to God Himself; in this, they showed that they neither believed, nor trusted, nor were faithful to God, but were instead seeking only to maintain their social position within the Church community by claiming to do what everyone else was doing, while at the same time keeping what they wanted for themselves. They could have kept their money if they wanted, and there would have been no great sin; they could have given only part of it and told the truth, and there would have been no great sin. But they tried to lie to God. Moving forward in the story, we should note how great are the miracles that the Lord is doing through His Apostles.)
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?