Catholic Replies

• 2 years ago

Editor’s Note: This series on the Bible is from the book Catholicism & Scripture. Please feel free to use the series for high schoolers or adults. We will continue to welcome your questions for the column as well.

Special Course On Catholicism And Scripture (Chapter 5)

When Jacob arrived at his uncle Laban’s, he fell in love with his daughter Rachel and Laban promised he could marry her after he worked for him for seven years. But at the end of the seven years, Laban deceived Jacob into marrying his older daughter Leah. Jacob was furious at the deception, forgetting that he had deceived his own father Isaac some years before. This reminds us of Jesus’ warning to recognize our own faults before criticizing the faults of others.

Laban later allowed Jacob to marry Rachel also if he worked for him for another seven years. Ironically, Leah was able to have children, but Rachel was not. After many years of praying, Rachel gave birth to a son named Joseph. Meanwhile, Laban’s sons were plotting against Jacob, and he fled the country with Leah and Rachel and their children. Laban caught up to him and they worked out an agreement to allow Jacob to return to his homeland. Jacob later met up with his brother Esau, they resolved their differences peacefully, and went their separate ways.

One night during his journey, Jacob wrestled with an angel and, after a long struggle, the angel said that Jacob would henceforth be known as Israel “because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed” (Gen. 32:29).

A change of a name in the Bible always indicates something important. Thus, Abram becomes Abraham, Simon becomes Peter, and Saul becomes Paul. So, too, the name our parents chose for us at Baptism, or the one we choose for ourselves at Confirmation, are also important since they are usually the names of a saint in Heaven whom we can ask for help.

The twelves tribes of Israel were named after the sons of Jacob. Two of Jacob’s sons, Joseph and Benjamin, were the children of Rachel, who died after giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph, who was hated by his brothers because he told them of dreams in which they were bowing down to him. One day when Jacob sent Joseph to check up on his brothers, they first decided to kill him by throwing him down a well, but then they sold him into slavery to a group of Ishmaelites who were traveling down to Egypt.

At first, Joseph was a slave to the chief steward of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, but then he was summoned to interpret some dreams the Pharaoh was having. In one of the dreams, Pharaoh saw seven fat cows standing on the banks of the Nile River when seven skinny cows came out of the river and ate the seven fat cows. Joseph told the king that the seven healthy cows represented seven years of great abundance in Egypt, while the seven sickly cows represented seven years of famine in the land.

Joseph suggested that grain be stored up during the good years so there would be enough food for the bad years. Pharaoh agreed and put Joseph in charge of the food supply.

When the famine came, Egypt had plenty of food and, in God’s divine plan, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food for his people. When the brothers came before Joseph to buy the food, he recognized them, but they did not recognize him. After putting them through a period of testing, Joseph revealed who he was. The brothers were astounded, but they were also fearful that Joseph would punish them for what they had done to him.

However, Joseph assured them that he did not bear a grudge against them and said that what had happened to him was all part of God’s plan. “It was really for the sake of saving lives,” he said, “that God sent me here ahead of you…to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance” (Gen. 45:5-8).

The story of Joseph illustrates the marvelous Providence of God, who is able to bring good out of evil, as He would later bring salvation to the world through the evil done to Jesus on Good Friday. Instead of complaining when something bad happens to us, we ought to ask God to help us in our difficulties.

Joseph told his brothers to go back to Canaan and bring Jacob and the rest of the family to Egypt. They settled in the region of Goshen in peace and prosperity. When Jacob died seventeen years later, his sons again were afraid that Joseph would punish them. But he reminded them again that what happened to him was part of God’s plan for the survival of the people of Israel.

List of Answers:

ANGEL

BROTHERS

DREAMS

ESAU

GOD’S

GRAIN

ISRAEL

JESUS’

JOSEPH

LEAH

PHARAOH

PUNISH

SLAVERY

TRIBES

Quiz:

1. Jacob was tricked into marrying ________ instead of Rachel.
2. This reminds us of _________ warning to recognize our own faults before criticizing those of others.
   
   3.Jacob wrestled with an _, who gave him the second name of __.
3. He later reconciled with his twin brother ___________.
4. Jacob had 12 children whose names would be given to the 12 _______ of Israel.
5. Jacob’s favorite son was ______, who was hated by his brothers out of jealousy.
6. The brothers sold him into _________________ in Egypt.
7. In Egypt, Joseph became a slave to ______________, the king of Egypt.
8. He correctly interpreted some __________________ for the king and was given great authority in the country.
9. Joseph wisely stored up __________ for years because of the coming famine.
10. When the famine affected those in Canaan, Joseph’s ___________ came to Egypt looking for grain to purchase.
11. When they finally recognized him, the brothers feared Joseph would _________ them for selling him into slavery, but he forgave them.
12. He said that what happened was part of __________ plan.