Gen 43:24-44:17

Genesis 44

Who:

• Author: Moses
• Audience: Israel
• Characters and People Groups:
  • Joseph
  • Joseph's brothers (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Benjamin)
  • Steward of Joseph's house
  • Egyptians (Joseph's servants)
• Symbolic Roles:
  • Deceiver: Joseph
  • Deceived: Brothers
  • Savior: Joseph

What:

• Main Storyline: Joseph commands his steward to fill the brothers' sacks with food, return their money, and place his silver cup in Benjamin's sack; the brothers depart but are soon overtaken; the steward searches the sacks and finds the cup in Benjamin's; the brothers tear their clothes, return to the city, and fall before Joseph; Joseph declares Benjamin must stay as his slave while the others may go; Judah pleads, recounting their father's grief and offering himself in Benjamin's place.

When:

• Date Authored: circa 1400 BC
• Date takes place: circa 1700 BC

Where:

• Egypt (ancient Egypt, modern Egypt); specifically Joseph's house and the way out of the city

Connections

• Repeated Words:
  • Benjamin (11)
  • cup (10)
  • father (12)
  • lord (9)
  • sack/sacks (11)
  • said (22)
  • servant/servants (12)
• Other Related Scriptures:
  • Genesis 42:15
  • Genesis 43:9
  • Genesis 37:29-35
  • Psalm 105:17-22

Jer 42:12-17

Who:

• Author: Jeremiah
• Audience: Remnant of Judah (specifically Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and people)
• Characters and People Groups:
  • Jeremiah
  • Johanan son of Kareah
  • Army officers
  • All the people (from least to greatest)
  • Azariah son of Hoshaiah (mentioned)
  • Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (mentioned)
• Symbolic Roles:
  • Deceiver: Remnant of Judah (hypocrisy in asking for God's word while intending to disobey)
  • Deceived:
  • Savior: LORD (Yahweh)

What:

• Main Storyline: The remnant of Judah, fearing Babylon, asks Jeremiah to inquire of the LORD for guidance; they vow to obey whatever the LORD says; Jeremiah prays for ten days; the LORD commands them to stay in the land, promising to build them up and show mercy through Nebuchadnezzar; but warns that if they go to Egypt seeking safety, the very disasters they fear—sword, famine, and pestilence—will follow them there, and they will die.

When:

• Date Authored: circa 580 BC
• Date takes place: circa 582 BC (shortly after the fall of Jerusalem and assassination of Gedaliah)

Where:

• biblical name, location and modern day name, location: Judah (ancient Judah, modern Israel/West Bank); Egypt (ancient Egypt, modern Egypt); Babylon (mentioned, ancient Babylon, modern Iraq)

Connections

• Repeated Words:

  • Egypt (12)
  • land (17)
  • LORD (23)

• Numbers Mentioned:

  • 10 days, Jer 42:7)

• Other Related Scriptures:

  • Deuteronomy 30:15-20
  • Jeremiah 43:1-7
  • Leviticus 26:14-39
  • Isaiah 30:1-7

1 Ki 3:15

Who:

• Author: Jeremiah (traditional authorship for the books of Kings)
• Audience: Exiled Israelites (and later post-exilic community)
• Characters and People Groups:
  • Solomon
  • LORD (Yahweh)
  • Two prostitutes (harlots)
  • Israel (mentioned as the people over whom Solomon reigns)
• Symbolic Roles:
  • Deceiver: First prostitute (who took the living child)
  • Deceived:
  • Savior: Solomon (as wise judge delivering justice)

What:

• Main Storyline: Solomon offers a thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon; the LORD appears to him in a dream, offering to give whatever he asks; Solomon asks for an understanding heart to judge the people and discern good from evil; God grants him extraordinary wisdom, plus riches and honor; Solomon awakens and offers sacrifices in Jerusalem; two prostitutes come before him disputing over a living child; Solomon proposes to divide the child with a sword; the true mother reveals herself by pleading for the child’s life; the other agrees to the division; Solomon awards the child to the compassionate mother; all Israel hears of the judgment and recognizes that God’s wisdom is in Solomon.

When:

• Date Authored: circa 560–540 BC
• Date takes place: circa 970–960 BC (early in Solomon’s reign)

Where:

• Gibeon (ancient Gibeon, modern el-Jib, West Bank); Jerusalem (ancient and modern Jerusalem, Israel)

Connections

• Repeated Words:
  • child (11)
  • king (7)
  • LORD (8)
  • Solomon (11)
  • son (10)
  • wisdom (7)
  • woman/women (12)
• Numbers Mentioned:
  • 03 days before the case, implied in context but not explicit
• Other Related Scriptures:
  • Deuteronomy 17:8-13
  • 1 Kings 8:22-53
  • Proverbs 1:1-7
  • 2 Chronicles 1:7-12

Luke 19:37-48

Who:

• Author: Luke
• Audience: Theophilus (and broader Gentile-inclusive Christian readers)
• Characters and People Groups:
  • Jesus
  • Zacchaeus
  • Crowd
  • Jericho inhabitants
  • Ten servants (in the parable)
  • Nobleman (in the parable)
  • Citizens who hate him (in the parable)
  • Chief priests and scribes (mentioned)
• Symbolic Roles:
  • Deceiver:
  • Deceived:
  • Savior: Jesus

What:

• Main Storyline: Jesus enters Jericho and calls Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, down from a sycamore tree; Zacchaeus receives Him joyfully and declares he will give half his goods to the poor and restore fourfold anything taken by false accusation; Jesus declares salvation has come to his house; Jesus tells the parable of the minas: a nobleman gives ten servants each one mina to trade while he goes to receive a kingdom; upon return, he rewards the faithful servants with authority over cities and punishes the unfaithful one; he also commands the rebellious citizens to be slain before him; Jesus proceeds toward Jerusalem.

When:

• Date Authored: circa AD 60–80
• Date takes place: circa AD 30 (during Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem)

Where:

• Jericho (ancient Jericho, modern Tell es-Sultan, West Bank)

Connections

• Repeated Words:
  • city/cities (7)
  • house (5)
  • lord (9)
  • mina/minas (9)
  • servant/servants (8)
  • ten (6)
• Other Related Scriptures:
  • Matthew 25:14-30
  • Mark 10:46-52
  • Luke 18:35-43
  • Psalm 118:26

Psalm 37

Who:

• Author: David
• Audience: The congregation of Israel (the righteous and the wicked among the people of God)
• Characters and People Groups:
  • David (speaker)
  • The righteous
  • The wicked
  • Evildoers
  • Workers of iniquity
  • The LORD (Yahweh)
  • Meek
  • Perfect/upright
• Symbolic Roles:
  • Deceiver: The wicked/evildoers
  • Deceived:
  • Savior: LORD (Yahweh)

What:

• Main Storyline: An acrostic wisdom psalm exhorting the righteous not to fret or envy the temporary prosperity of the wicked; instead, trust in the LORD, delight in Him, commit your way to Him, and wait patiently; the LORD upholds the righteous, gives them the land as inheritance, and will cut off the wicked; contrasts the future of the righteous (blessing, peace, salvation) with the wicked (cut off, perish, no future).

When:

• Date Authored: circa 1000 BC (during David's reign)
• Date takes place: Timeless wisdom (no specific historical event)

Where:

• The land (promised land, ancient Canaan/Israel, modern Israel/West Bank)

Connections

• Repeated Words:
  • inherit (8)
  • land (11)
  • LORD (22)
  • righteous (12)
  • wicked (14)
• Other Related Scriptures:
  • Psalm 1:1-6
  • Proverbs 24:19-20
  • Matthew 5:5
  • Job 27:13-23