At the beginning of Genesis 40, Joseph is living in the belly of the beast: an Egyptian prison. By the end of Genesis 41, he’s Pharaoh‘s second-in-command. But no matter his station, God’s favor remains on Joseph.

Joseph’s story resolves every major plot-line of Genesis, proving that Moses is a “literary genius,” as Jim puts it.

These chapters of Genesis cover some dark terrain, things that ought not be done in Israel (34:7). What’s God up to in Genesis 34–36?

In Genesis 32–33, Jacob has two life-altering confrontations—one with the angel of God, and one with the adversary of his lifetime: Esau, his brother. What happens in each will surprise you.

There’s a lot of deception and re-deception going on here. There’s also some poetic justice, some pathetic names, some junk science, and a tense camel chase.

These chapters of Genesis continue the story of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. They play out like an episode of a soap opera: family member against family member; deceit on top of deceit; the promise of revenge.

In these chapters, Moses shifts his attention to the next generation of the promised line. As he does, familiar themes show up.

Moses spends so much time cultivating an expectation for Isaac’s birth. But then, out of nowhere, the Lord tests Abraham, telling him to sacrifice his son, his only son whom he loves. Alex Duke chats with Jim Hamilton & Sam Emadi about Genesis 21–23.

These chapters cover some of the darkest episodes in all of Scripture. We see the wages of sin—death—on full display. And yet, we also see glimmers of God’s grace and mercy.