What do you think?
Rate this book
Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness
"Deep, rich, and nourishing." --Os Guinness
The life of Joseph detailed in the book of Genesis is a story of love, hate, slavery, power, and forgiveness. Although written thousands of years ago, it has a timeless quality that still probes the depths of the human experience.
In this thoughtful and devotional book, scholar John Lennox emphasizes the major themes present in Joseph's story--such as suffering, temptation, forgiveness, faith, and God's sovereignty--and applies them to readers at a personal level. This detailed look at Joseph's life in its broader context will invite us into a deeper trust of God in the face of suffering and hardship.
The life of Joseph detailed in the book of Genesis is a story of love, hate, slavery, power, and forgiveness. Although written thousands of years ago, it has a timeless quality that still probes the depths of the human experience.
In this thoughtful and devotional book, scholar John Lennox emphasizes the major themes present in Joseph's story--such as suffering, temptation, forgiveness, faith, and God's sovereignty--and applies them to readers at a personal level. This detailed look at Joseph's life in its broader context will invite us into a deeper trust of God in the face of suffering and hardship.
240 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2019
47 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
John C. Lennox
71 books924 followersJohn Carson Lennox is Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science, and Pastoral Advisor at Green Templeton College, Oxford. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University and at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and is a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum. In addition, he teaches for the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the Executive Education Centre, Said Business School, Oxford University.
He studied at the Royal School Armagh, Northern Ireland and was Exhibitioner and Senior Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University from which he took his MA, MMath and PhD. He worked for many years in the Mathematics Institute at the University of Wales in Cardiff which awarded him a DSc for his research. He also holds an MA and DPhil from Oxford University and an MA in Bioethics from the University of Surrey. He was a Senior Alexander Von Humboldt Fellow at the Universities of Würzburg and Freiburg in Germany. He has lectured extensively in North America, Eastern and Western Europe and Australasia on mathematics, the philosophy of science and the intellectual defence of Christianity.
He has written a number of books on the interface between science, philosophy and theology. These include God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (2009), God and Stephen Hawking, a response to The Grand Design (2011), Gunning for God, on the new atheism (2011), and Seven Days that Divide the World, on the early chapters of Genesis (2011). Furthermore, in addition to over seventy published mathematical papers, he is the co-author of two research level texts in algebra in the Oxford Mathematical Monographs series.
He studied at the Royal School Armagh, Northern Ireland and was Exhibitioner and Senior Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University from which he took his MA, MMath and PhD. He worked for many years in the Mathematics Institute at the University of Wales in Cardiff which awarded him a DSc for his research. He also holds an MA and DPhil from Oxford University and an MA in Bioethics from the University of Surrey. He was a Senior Alexander Von Humboldt Fellow at the Universities of Würzburg and Freiburg in Germany. He has lectured extensively in North America, Eastern and Western Europe and Australasia on mathematics, the philosophy of science and the intellectual defence of Christianity.
He has written a number of books on the interface between science, philosophy and theology. These include God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (2009), God and Stephen Hawking, a response to The Grand Design (2011), Gunning for God, on the new atheism (2011), and Seven Days that Divide the World, on the early chapters of Genesis (2011). Furthermore, in addition to over seventy published mathematical papers, he is the co-author of two research level texts in algebra in the Oxford Mathematical Monographs series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 25, 2021
Absolutely amazing .... so many things that have been unfolded from the story of Joseph that I never considered before and other things that gave me such a deeper understanding of God turning any situation for our good and his glory! Loved the detail and the background of the lineage from abraham to Issac to Jacob and then Joseph!
Incredible read!
Incredible read!
February 23, 2019
This book is a "Deep Dive" into the life of Joseph. I was expecting a book just about Joseph and the Biblical story of his life in Genesis. But what I got was a whole lot more. I was surprised, but not disappointed.
John Lennox gives a great overview of the whole book of Genesis by wrapping it around the theme of the life of Joseph. The reason for the overview is that he wants you to understand the family dynamics of Joseph's family (going all the way back to Abraham). Why? Because his family was a tad bit dysfunctional, but God still used him and his family for His purposes.
Think back to Genesis 12 when God tells Abraham that his family (nation) would bless the entire world. That seemed a bit out of the question at the time. But God had a plan.
Joseph's life plays a large role in showing how God was going to use the Jews to bless the whole world. Even though Joseph's brothers sold him into Slavery and even though Joseph ended up in jail for a time, still God was faithful and so was Joseph.
Because of Joseph's faithfulness to God he was able to get out of prison, rise to fame in Egypt and basically save the known world from a seven year famine. That saving blessed not just the Jews, but the Egyptians and other nations as well.
But what are the lessons for us today? Well, John Lennox pulls together Joseph's life, his dysfunctional family and all of scripture, both Old and New Testament to drive home our needs to see God as caring and Sovereign. How will you respond to life's circumstances when they don't go your way? Learn how Joseph responded and then ask the Lord to help you learn how to respond appropriately to your own life circumstances so that you can be a Godly example to those around you.
Enjoy learning!
John Lennox gives a great overview of the whole book of Genesis by wrapping it around the theme of the life of Joseph. The reason for the overview is that he wants you to understand the family dynamics of Joseph's family (going all the way back to Abraham). Why? Because his family was a tad bit dysfunctional, but God still used him and his family for His purposes.
Think back to Genesis 12 when God tells Abraham that his family (nation) would bless the entire world. That seemed a bit out of the question at the time. But God had a plan.
Joseph's life plays a large role in showing how God was going to use the Jews to bless the whole world. Even though Joseph's brothers sold him into Slavery and even though Joseph ended up in jail for a time, still God was faithful and so was Joseph.
Because of Joseph's faithfulness to God he was able to get out of prison, rise to fame in Egypt and basically save the known world from a seven year famine. That saving blessed not just the Jews, but the Egyptians and other nations as well.
But what are the lessons for us today? Well, John Lennox pulls together Joseph's life, his dysfunctional family and all of scripture, both Old and New Testament to drive home our needs to see God as caring and Sovereign. How will you respond to life's circumstances when they don't go your way? Learn how Joseph responded and then ask the Lord to help you learn how to respond appropriately to your own life circumstances so that you can be a Godly example to those around you.
Enjoy learning!
March 14, 2019
Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness addresses one of my all-time favorite Bible stories. I may be a bit biased, as my name is Joseph, but I’ve always loved this narrative. I also had it assigned as a narrative to translate from Hebrew in college, which only deepened my love for this story. Lennox’s title says it: this story has it all. But what of this book? I was excited to dive in to find out what John C. Lennox, a rather famous man in some Christian circles, would have to say about this narrative.
Lennox is a somewhat strange choice for a book on Joseph on the face of things. A search of “John Lennox” with terms like “Joseph” and “Bible” brings up a number of videos of Lennox discussing this narrative, however, showing something of a longstanding interest in the topic. Lennox’s training is in mathematics, though he has written extensively in the fields of apologetics in particular as well as science-faith topics. Where this becomes relevant is when Lennox delves more deeply into the background of texts. He leans heavily on other thinkers for this, and seems particularly reliant upon Kenneth A. Kitchen. These include citations from a text from 1966, along with the more recent On the Reliability of the Old Testament (2006). Kitchen is an excellent scholar with impeccable credentials, but again, the heavy reliance on other scholars by Lennox makes any background here seem superficial.
Nevertheless, Lennox does provide quite a bit of background for readers. He begins not with the start of the Joseph narrative, but with an overview of the structure of Genesis, including a re-reading of many of the Genesis accounts. Though this may seem somewhat unnecessary, Lennox does this to give a real sense of place, time, and setting for the Joseph narrative, making it feel even more alive and fresh than it might otherwise. Lennox is keen throughout the book to show that God’s judgement, mercy, and sovereignty are in play throughout the narrative.
Lennox gives plenty of context for readers, but mostly follows an totally expository path, deviating little from the content of the story itself. Where he does deviate, it sometimes goes into strange territory. For example, when discussing “Joseph’s rise to power,” Lennox goes on a tangent about confidence, which leads to a discussion about Christianity in “the West.” In the midst of this discussion, Lennox cites others noting that “there has been a collapse of Western self-confidence…” He then goes on to link this loss of confidence to a rise in trust in science as over and against Christianity. Following previously cited authors, Lennox argues that “confidence in God and in the Lord and the Gospel is being shaken as never before” (154). Then, Lennox just brings Joseph back in. Joseph was just “a single individual, with no other human group supporting him, yet such was his conviction of the truth of the message he had… that he influenced the future of an entire nation. That is the sort of confidence in God… that is necessary in order to stand up and reverse the trend of weakness and lack of conviction and authenticity that characterize far too much of that which calls itself Christian” (155). Frankly, I am baffled by this rabbit trail. Apart from the strangeness of demanding that Christianity be characterized by strength and authenticity rather than being humble (Ephesians 4:2, for example), it also seems very much like a grasp by Lennox to make an application in a section that he has thus far done little to make practical theology happen.
The story of Joseph, of course, features prominently at least one woman: Potiphar’s wife. Lennox goes over the story of Potiphar’s wife attempting to seduce Joseph in detail. Once more, Lennox is keen to make applications to today from the story, including arguing that sexual activity “including pornography” is encouraged in “our contemporary world.” In contrast, Lennox argues, this leads to bitterness and anti-social behavior. To combat this, we ought “to make God the center and focal point of our morality, not our desires, or feeling that it is so right” (128). Later, when discussing Potiphar’s attempt to frame Joseph, Lennox appeals not to the Bible but to the common proverb “a woman scorned” to make his point (129), attempting an appeal to what he seems to think is a shared agreement–women, right? This movement from an individual woman–Potiphar’s wife–to all women: “a woman scorned,” is surely overdone and not a little insulting. Lennox’s implication seems to be that Potiphar’s wife’s attempt to frame Joseph is just what we ought to expect from a woman who was trying to seduce a man like Joseph. But this is the very kind of generalizing from abusive behavior to excuses that has led to so many problems in the world and church around the topic of abuse. I was surprised to see this, but then Lennox follows it with another disappointing statement, saying that Potiphar’s wife “denounced Joseph to the other servants, playing the race card” (129). This “race card” was that Potiphar’s wife blamed Joseph due to his being a Hebrew (Genesis 39:13-15). But the use of “race card” in this way is clearly pejorative. Lennox doesn’t give any further context for this statement, but this kind of terminology is often used to denounce those who point to real, current abuses happening due to people’s race. What makes it particularly odd is that Lennox puts this apparent condemnation of lumping whole groups together right next to his own action doing the same (“race card” means calling Joseph Hebrew to denounce him is bad, but in the very same paragraph Lennox uses “a woman scorned” to reference the “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” proverb that implies all women act in this manner). It’s an alarming and disappointing series of discussions from Lennox in this section.
Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness is a competent look at a beautiful story. Lennox gives much by way of background, but derives most of the details from other sources. When he makes contemporary applications, they are quite uneven. The theological leanings of the reader will most likely be the determining factor in one’s enjoyment.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of the book for review by the publisher. I was not required to give any specific kind of feedback whatsoever.
Lennox is a somewhat strange choice for a book on Joseph on the face of things. A search of “John Lennox” with terms like “Joseph” and “Bible” brings up a number of videos of Lennox discussing this narrative, however, showing something of a longstanding interest in the topic. Lennox’s training is in mathematics, though he has written extensively in the fields of apologetics in particular as well as science-faith topics. Where this becomes relevant is when Lennox delves more deeply into the background of texts. He leans heavily on other thinkers for this, and seems particularly reliant upon Kenneth A. Kitchen. These include citations from a text from 1966, along with the more recent On the Reliability of the Old Testament (2006). Kitchen is an excellent scholar with impeccable credentials, but again, the heavy reliance on other scholars by Lennox makes any background here seem superficial.
Nevertheless, Lennox does provide quite a bit of background for readers. He begins not with the start of the Joseph narrative, but with an overview of the structure of Genesis, including a re-reading of many of the Genesis accounts. Though this may seem somewhat unnecessary, Lennox does this to give a real sense of place, time, and setting for the Joseph narrative, making it feel even more alive and fresh than it might otherwise. Lennox is keen throughout the book to show that God’s judgement, mercy, and sovereignty are in play throughout the narrative.
Lennox gives plenty of context for readers, but mostly follows an totally expository path, deviating little from the content of the story itself. Where he does deviate, it sometimes goes into strange territory. For example, when discussing “Joseph’s rise to power,” Lennox goes on a tangent about confidence, which leads to a discussion about Christianity in “the West.” In the midst of this discussion, Lennox cites others noting that “there has been a collapse of Western self-confidence…” He then goes on to link this loss of confidence to a rise in trust in science as over and against Christianity. Following previously cited authors, Lennox argues that “confidence in God and in the Lord and the Gospel is being shaken as never before” (154). Then, Lennox just brings Joseph back in. Joseph was just “a single individual, with no other human group supporting him, yet such was his conviction of the truth of the message he had… that he influenced the future of an entire nation. That is the sort of confidence in God… that is necessary in order to stand up and reverse the trend of weakness and lack of conviction and authenticity that characterize far too much of that which calls itself Christian” (155). Frankly, I am baffled by this rabbit trail. Apart from the strangeness of demanding that Christianity be characterized by strength and authenticity rather than being humble (Ephesians 4:2, for example), it also seems very much like a grasp by Lennox to make an application in a section that he has thus far done little to make practical theology happen.
The story of Joseph, of course, features prominently at least one woman: Potiphar’s wife. Lennox goes over the story of Potiphar’s wife attempting to seduce Joseph in detail. Once more, Lennox is keen to make applications to today from the story, including arguing that sexual activity “including pornography” is encouraged in “our contemporary world.” In contrast, Lennox argues, this leads to bitterness and anti-social behavior. To combat this, we ought “to make God the center and focal point of our morality, not our desires, or feeling that it is so right” (128). Later, when discussing Potiphar’s attempt to frame Joseph, Lennox appeals not to the Bible but to the common proverb “a woman scorned” to make his point (129), attempting an appeal to what he seems to think is a shared agreement–women, right? This movement from an individual woman–Potiphar’s wife–to all women: “a woman scorned,” is surely overdone and not a little insulting. Lennox’s implication seems to be that Potiphar’s wife’s attempt to frame Joseph is just what we ought to expect from a woman who was trying to seduce a man like Joseph. But this is the very kind of generalizing from abusive behavior to excuses that has led to so many problems in the world and church around the topic of abuse. I was surprised to see this, but then Lennox follows it with another disappointing statement, saying that Potiphar’s wife “denounced Joseph to the other servants, playing the race card” (129). This “race card” was that Potiphar’s wife blamed Joseph due to his being a Hebrew (Genesis 39:13-15). But the use of “race card” in this way is clearly pejorative. Lennox doesn’t give any further context for this statement, but this kind of terminology is often used to denounce those who point to real, current abuses happening due to people’s race. What makes it particularly odd is that Lennox puts this apparent condemnation of lumping whole groups together right next to his own action doing the same (“race card” means calling Joseph Hebrew to denounce him is bad, but in the very same paragraph Lennox uses “a woman scorned” to reference the “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” proverb that implies all women act in this manner). It’s an alarming and disappointing series of discussions from Lennox in this section.
Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness is a competent look at a beautiful story. Lennox gives much by way of background, but derives most of the details from other sources. When he makes contemporary applications, they are quite uneven. The theological leanings of the reader will most likely be the determining factor in one’s enjoyment.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of the book for review by the publisher. I was not required to give any specific kind of feedback whatsoever.
January 22, 2023
I read this to accompany reading through Genesis. I've never read a book focused on Joseph before. It was fantastic! He took a story I'm very familiar with and drew out details and points I hadn't noticed or thought about before. The author also does a great job of situating everything in its historical and archaeological context with notes. Both thoughtful and devotional.
March 17, 2021
Often insightful, but with some puzzling tangents on topics that seemed to be of special interest to the author. The material on forgiveness towards the end of the book was especially helpful.
March 20, 2023
Easy to understand but nevertheless deep insights and explanations. I liked especially the observations on forgiveness and reconciliation which I found very practically.
July 4, 2025
What a wonderful book to read! This book humbled me. Why? Just when I thought I had read enough on the subject along comes this book by this author and surprises me with a range of ideas and thoughts which I had never considered before. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2020
The story of Joseph was always one of my favorite from the Bible. It was an interesting look at family, jealousy, and ego plus it taught society both Hebrew and Egyptian (at least from a Hebrew view). As I got older and keep returning to the story through the lens of ancient history and folklore, I could see it was also a universal story which include motifs and tale types found in other cultures. John C. Lennox's lens are all conservative Christian however which results in a odd book that claims to include context from within the Bible as well as historical facts (those sources cited are few).
I think the project of placing the story of Joseph within the context of Genesis, Judaism, and Christianity is a logical one. If he only stuck to the religious comparison, I would have rated this book higher but the weak attempt to comment on ancient Egyptian society forced me to rank it lower. My Intro to Egyptian History students would have had a better understanding of what may be the Middle Kingdom setting of the Joseph story than the historical claims of this book seem to. Lennox never mentions how common the Potiphar's Wife is as a folkloric motiff; if this book were merely religious internal interpretation, I'd give that a pass, but by claiming to pull in factual information about Egyptian culture, Lennox creates an expectation of knowing about how stories function in societies. Heck, he could even try to claim this was where the motif came from if he wanted to argue that but I expect him to know about the story's widespread usage.
The message of the Joseph story seems reasonable and frankly fits into most interpretations. I don't see much new here until we start looking at how sex, gender roles, and women are treated. Hebrew society was patriarchal, no doubt, yet for all the time spent on the rape of Dinah (a half sister of Joseph and part of the greater context Lennox spends a good deal of time on), that word "rape" is not used nor is the context of marriage between victim and predator discussed. Furthermore, this assault is compared to the sexual immortality of Jacob's own household as though they are identical. Dinah's feelings are ignored though that could be explained by the fact that they are frankly ignored in Genesis. I could brush aside until sexual morality was repeated brought up in this book from Judah to Potiphar's wife, and interrupted to talk about how men are tempted by women while ignoring the greater social, political, and economic power of some of those men.
Obviously as a slave, Joseph's power is limited yet I was shocked at the apologetic paragraphs Lennox has explaining away slavery in ancient Egypt. If, Joseph truly has as much power as his quoted speech claims within a world of this less horrible slavery, then should all the blame be laid upon the wife's head? Lennox doesn't ask why Joseph doesn't simply tell Potiphar what is happening before false accusations are placed. Instead, he makes the space to talk about the problem of victims speaking out in our own society.
I really wanted to enjoy this book and be able to think about interpretations of Joseph but the conservative tone, the ignorance of history, and the focus on sexual morality without balance, made this an unpleasant reader all around. Luckily, this book has not destroyed the story for me as a historian, a Christian, and a woman.
I think the project of placing the story of Joseph within the context of Genesis, Judaism, and Christianity is a logical one. If he only stuck to the religious comparison, I would have rated this book higher but the weak attempt to comment on ancient Egyptian society forced me to rank it lower. My Intro to Egyptian History students would have had a better understanding of what may be the Middle Kingdom setting of the Joseph story than the historical claims of this book seem to. Lennox never mentions how common the Potiphar's Wife is as a folkloric motiff; if this book were merely religious internal interpretation, I'd give that a pass, but by claiming to pull in factual information about Egyptian culture, Lennox creates an expectation of knowing about how stories function in societies. Heck, he could even try to claim this was where the motif came from if he wanted to argue that but I expect him to know about the story's widespread usage.
The message of the Joseph story seems reasonable and frankly fits into most interpretations. I don't see much new here until we start looking at how sex, gender roles, and women are treated. Hebrew society was patriarchal, no doubt, yet for all the time spent on the rape of Dinah (a half sister of Joseph and part of the greater context Lennox spends a good deal of time on), that word "rape" is not used nor is the context of marriage between victim and predator discussed. Furthermore, this assault is compared to the sexual immortality of Jacob's own household as though they are identical. Dinah's feelings are ignored though that could be explained by the fact that they are frankly ignored in Genesis. I could brush aside until sexual morality was repeated brought up in this book from Judah to Potiphar's wife, and interrupted to talk about how men are tempted by women while ignoring the greater social, political, and economic power of some of those men.
Obviously as a slave, Joseph's power is limited yet I was shocked at the apologetic paragraphs Lennox has explaining away slavery in ancient Egypt. If, Joseph truly has as much power as his quoted speech claims within a world of this less horrible slavery, then should all the blame be laid upon the wife's head? Lennox doesn't ask why Joseph doesn't simply tell Potiphar what is happening before false accusations are placed. Instead, he makes the space to talk about the problem of victims speaking out in our own society.
I really wanted to enjoy this book and be able to think about interpretations of Joseph but the conservative tone, the ignorance of history, and the focus on sexual morality without balance, made this an unpleasant reader all around. Luckily, this book has not destroyed the story for me as a historian, a Christian, and a woman.
October 8, 2020
This is a wonderful examination of the life of Joseph. The author brought out a lot of details that many a preacher have seemed to overlook. Starting with the major themes within the book of Genesis helped to lay the important groundwork for examining Joseph's life and story.
Dr. Lennox is known for his defense of Christianity and his work in apologetics and that comes through occasionally in this book, though not as much as most fans of apologetics would probably desire. Here's an example -
"The book of Genesis was penned long before the ancient Greek philosophers had begun to formulate the ideas that are typically taken to represent the beginnings of philosophy. The lofty monotheism of the ancient Hebrews predates the Greek philosophers by centuries, a fact that is often lost in the current attempt to validate naturalism or materialism as the only worldview that holds intellectual credibility. Furthermore, in contradistinction to the Greeks, the Hebrew thinkers did not have to purge their worldview of a Pantheon of god-projections of the forces of nature for the simple reason that they never did believe in such gods in the first place. The God of the Hebrews was not a projection of any force of nature. He was the creator without whom they would be no forces, or, indeed, any nature in the first place.
"The current naive trend of dismissing the god of the Bible as just another of the ancient mythical gods completely fails to grasp this distinction." Pg 17
Lennox helped open my eyes to many things I hadn't seen before and I'm grateful for his effort. It is the details that he brought out that moved me to give this book 4 stars. I think that many believers would benefit from reading this one. And his chapter on the subject of forgiveness was most helpful.
Dr. Lennox is known for his defense of Christianity and his work in apologetics and that comes through occasionally in this book, though not as much as most fans of apologetics would probably desire. Here's an example -
"The book of Genesis was penned long before the ancient Greek philosophers had begun to formulate the ideas that are typically taken to represent the beginnings of philosophy. The lofty monotheism of the ancient Hebrews predates the Greek philosophers by centuries, a fact that is often lost in the current attempt to validate naturalism or materialism as the only worldview that holds intellectual credibility. Furthermore, in contradistinction to the Greeks, the Hebrew thinkers did not have to purge their worldview of a Pantheon of god-projections of the forces of nature for the simple reason that they never did believe in such gods in the first place. The God of the Hebrews was not a projection of any force of nature. He was the creator without whom they would be no forces, or, indeed, any nature in the first place.
"The current naive trend of dismissing the god of the Bible as just another of the ancient mythical gods completely fails to grasp this distinction." Pg 17
Lennox helped open my eyes to many things I hadn't seen before and I'm grateful for his effort. It is the details that he brought out that moved me to give this book 4 stars. I think that many believers would benefit from reading this one. And his chapter on the subject of forgiveness was most helpful.
November 30, 2024
This IS one of the best books I have ever read!
The story of Joseph, as depicted by the Bible, seems a simple one when I just read it with my eyes. The facts presented there are straightforward, it's easy to understand where it starts and where it ends. But when I read it with the mind and heart, I realized it's far, far more complex. It's a story about opposites: love and hatred, power and slavery, man's doing, and God's plan. And it was real.
The fact that it happened in the ancient Egypt thousands and thousands years ago doesn't make it less relevant today and John Lennox did an amazing job with highlighting issues that were then and are still happening now such as favoritism in the family, being a witness at the job, temptations, what true forgiveness means and others.
Learning more about Joseph - this epic character that is the embodiment of faith, wisdom and "trust the process" - his life and the context in which all of this happened made me wonder...How is my faith in the waiting? Do I really trust this amazing God that is always "meaning it for good"? When nothing doesn't make sense for me in the present, am I trusting the One who sees it all, and what the future holds? This mighty God, who, when He has a plan, always works to fulfil it in the smallest detail. People might play a big part in the story, but in the end, it's God's will that prevails. And this is always good, perfect, and far better than what I would ever imagine.
The story of Joseph, as depicted by the Bible, seems a simple one when I just read it with my eyes. The facts presented there are straightforward, it's easy to understand where it starts and where it ends. But when I read it with the mind and heart, I realized it's far, far more complex. It's a story about opposites: love and hatred, power and slavery, man's doing, and God's plan. And it was real.
The fact that it happened in the ancient Egypt thousands and thousands years ago doesn't make it less relevant today and John Lennox did an amazing job with highlighting issues that were then and are still happening now such as favoritism in the family, being a witness at the job, temptations, what true forgiveness means and others.
Learning more about Joseph - this epic character that is the embodiment of faith, wisdom and "trust the process" - his life and the context in which all of this happened made me wonder...How is my faith in the waiting? Do I really trust this amazing God that is always "meaning it for good"? When nothing doesn't make sense for me in the present, am I trusting the One who sees it all, and what the future holds? This mighty God, who, when He has a plan, always works to fulfil it in the smallest detail. People might play a big part in the story, but in the end, it's God's will that prevails. And this is always good, perfect, and far better than what I would ever imagine.
March 31, 2019
Whilst this book is a bit more Christian-centered than most of the books I read, I found the author to have an intriguing writing-style and to have used good sources for his research. His interpretation of the story of Joseph is a fascinating one where he makes a lot of valid points about what the scriptures may be trying to tell the reader.
I found one of the later chapters, on forgiveness particularly interesting, especially the way the author used the story of Joseph to highlight the different ideas as well as components of forgiveness. This book gave me a lot to consider, and although I do not personally agree with every viewpoint expressed in it, I do have great respect for the author for his conviction and clear sense of loyalty to what he believes. I think, religious or not, really anyone could benefit from this book.
Overall, I thought this was a great read and one that will benefit anyone who wants further insight into the story of Joseph. I read it side by side with the account in the Torah, and it helped me to feel like I had a fuller understanding of the story.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I found one of the later chapters, on forgiveness particularly interesting, especially the way the author used the story of Joseph to highlight the different ideas as well as components of forgiveness. This book gave me a lot to consider, and although I do not personally agree with every viewpoint expressed in it, I do have great respect for the author for his conviction and clear sense of loyalty to what he believes. I think, religious or not, really anyone could benefit from this book.
Overall, I thought this was a great read and one that will benefit anyone who wants further insight into the story of Joseph. I read it side by side with the account in the Torah, and it helped me to feel like I had a fuller understanding of the story.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
May 2, 2019
John Lennox, author of Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness, is not your ordinary run of the mill authors. He is professor emeritus of mathematics at the University of Oxford and an associate fellow of Oxford’s Said Business School. His book published by Crossway offers up a very practical look at the life of Joseph.
He begins the book not with the birth of Joseph but actually in the beginning of the Bible to show how the Scripture leads up to this character that will consume most of the Book of Genesis in order to give us context.
With each chapter he gives us not just an account of what has happened in that Scripture to give us a proper understanding, but he has also given us practical application to our Christian lives. He even takes us to the New Testament to bring in even further application.
I personally appreciated the section on forgiveness and reconciliation as it came to me during a personal time of pain and hurt.
I believe that this book is a great tool to be used by any pastor teaching or preaching through this section of Genesis. You will find this scholarly at times but not a difficult read. I do humbly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book to review it for the publisher.
He begins the book not with the birth of Joseph but actually in the beginning of the Bible to show how the Scripture leads up to this character that will consume most of the Book of Genesis in order to give us context.
With each chapter he gives us not just an account of what has happened in that Scripture to give us a proper understanding, but he has also given us practical application to our Christian lives. He even takes us to the New Testament to bring in even further application.
I personally appreciated the section on forgiveness and reconciliation as it came to me during a personal time of pain and hurt.
I believe that this book is a great tool to be used by any pastor teaching or preaching through this section of Genesis. You will find this scholarly at times but not a difficult read. I do humbly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book to review it for the publisher.
January 18, 2020
John Lennox traces the story Joseph and does a really good job of stitching together the family line beginning with Abraham. It's full of important connections that can easily be lost when only portions of genesis account are read disconnected from one another.
I found something new or interesting in each chapter, Lennox weaving facts, observations and thoughts into the story that makes it more than just a retelling.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for Christian and non-Christian alike - the background in this story informs the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths and the issues presented by Lennox are worth considering, fundamental as they are to our shared experiences of family and betrayal and forgiveness.
I was curious, but not surprised by John Lennox's statement that there is little evidence of Joseph and the Jews being in Egypt at that time. There are, of course, controversial opinions about this - in particular, David Rohl's views on the ancient city of Avaris. Many Egyptologists dismiss this evidence on the basis that it doesn't fit the standard chronology (K. Kitchen et al). For anyone interested in the subject, I recommend reading David Rohl's assertions as well (Exodus: Myth or History).
I found something new or interesting in each chapter, Lennox weaving facts, observations and thoughts into the story that makes it more than just a retelling.
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for Christian and non-Christian alike - the background in this story informs the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths and the issues presented by Lennox are worth considering, fundamental as they are to our shared experiences of family and betrayal and forgiveness.
I was curious, but not surprised by John Lennox's statement that there is little evidence of Joseph and the Jews being in Egypt at that time. There are, of course, controversial opinions about this - in particular, David Rohl's views on the ancient city of Avaris. Many Egyptologists dismiss this evidence on the basis that it doesn't fit the standard chronology (K. Kitchen et al). For anyone interested in the subject, I recommend reading David Rohl's assertions as well (Exodus: Myth or History).
Read
July 12, 2024Maybe the best book on the life of joseph
I really like This book about the life of Joseph and the parallels That Dr Linux draws between Joseph and Jesus And then Joseph and us Period We all need to know more about forgiving people Especially people in our family who we feel have done us wrong Period Sometimes we think people have done us so wrong that we could never forgive them But if that's the case God could never forgive us But he does And then he In turn tells us to forgive others In the same way we have been forgiven Period There's just so much good Deep rich stuff here That it's worth a read. It's not a difficult read, and he's not over theological in the Seminary sense that would make the book a textbook rather than a book to read. This book is very readable and very enjoyable.
I really like This book about the life of Joseph and the parallels That Dr Linux draws between Joseph and Jesus And then Joseph and us Period We all need to know more about forgiving people Especially people in our family who we feel have done us wrong Period Sometimes we think people have done us so wrong that we could never forgive them But if that's the case God could never forgive us But he does And then he In turn tells us to forgive others In the same way we have been forgiven Period There's just so much good Deep rich stuff here That it's worth a read. It's not a difficult read, and he's not over theological in the Seminary sense that would make the book a textbook rather than a book to read. This book is very readable and very enjoyable.
August 16, 2025
This is a brilliant piece of theological work from John Lennox. In pulling part the life of Joseph, he not only makes us aware of how God works in all situations but how he uses people to further his kingdom.
John also uses the story of Joseph to highlight the importance of patience and how in our waiting God can teach us valuable lessons. In all John discusses many different scenarios that Joseph goes through which can also be applied to our lives today.
Most importantly he continues to link the story of Joseph to the Messiah and how Joseph represents a small portion of what’s to come.
Overall I would recommend this to everyone who wants to see how God works in all who trust and how in the darkest times, God is always present.
John also uses the story of Joseph to highlight the importance of patience and how in our waiting God can teach us valuable lessons. In all John discusses many different scenarios that Joseph goes through which can also be applied to our lives today.
Most importantly he continues to link the story of Joseph to the Messiah and how Joseph represents a small portion of what’s to come.
Overall I would recommend this to everyone who wants to see how God works in all who trust and how in the darkest times, God is always present.
December 2, 2019
This was an expanded story telling of the Joseph story, starting with the beginning of Genesis to set the stage. Prof. Lennox does a wonderful job about bringing out parallelism in the bible between the Joseph story and other parts of the bible. He inevitably points out useful things I had never noticed. It is unfortunate that he too often goes off on a tangent against an overly Calvinistic perspective. While I agree with him, I don’t think this added to the book. So, this was a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed, but it was certainly not Prof. Lennox’s best.
July 10, 2020
It's good to see Lennox's patented thoughtfulness runs as consistently through his biblical surveys as they do his typical works. Although my presumptions about the nature of the book spoilt it for me (I thought it would be a systematic theophany along God's sovereignty - that role remains for his other referenced work), this is a enlightenting, VERY easy to read journey through the story of Joseph. He also tastefully integrates relevant pieces of historical study to deepen the narrative and widen our perspectives.
May 1, 2024
Anyone who has ever heard Prof Lennox speak will 'hear' his voice in the reading of this book. The adverbs are obviously his voice, but so is his deep relationship with the God of Israel. I was glad, and somewhat surprised that he began way before the story of Joseph but still in the book of beginnings. The use of clothing imagery, and the culmination with forgiveness and the one son in place of another son... it all worked really well.
This is a good character study, and the reader will be challenged to think about what God may want to say to him throughout.
This is a good character study, and the reader will be challenged to think about what God may want to say to him throughout.
August 21, 2024
I much enjoyed reading John Lennox's presentation of the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis. Strengths include:
(1) Seeing how the Joseph account fits into the big picture of biblical theology, the great "Seed Project" introduced in Genesis 3:15;
(2) Details about ancient Egypt that add context and support the authenticity of Genesis.
(3) Good practical applications;
(4) Good discussions of some defending the faith issues.
(1) Seeing how the Joseph account fits into the big picture of biblical theology, the great "Seed Project" introduced in Genesis 3:15;
(2) Details about ancient Egypt that add context and support the authenticity of Genesis.
(3) Good practical applications;
(4) Good discussions of some defending the faith issues.
November 3, 2024
Normally I find commentaries something I dip in and out of, but this one was different. Lennox who is more well known for his academics and apologetics lends his thorough but engaging style to the story of Joseph and does a fantastic job of painting the whole picture, Joseph's family history, what he would have known if God, history of Egypt, how all of his experiences lead to his forgiveness and Godly characteristics. Short and insightful.
November 18, 2021
2 stars: did not like it. This was easy to read but not particularly insightful or thought-provoking. A friend gave me this book so I stuck with it longer than I otherwise might have. Even still, I stopped reading about half way through.
February 21, 2024
Great book from a great writer
This is a great book for personal study and edification. Dr. Lennox is a wonderful writer that will take you on a journey in personal discovery with the text and also spiritual transformation as you pair his comments with the text in Genesis.
This is a great book for personal study and edification. Dr. Lennox is a wonderful writer that will take you on a journey in personal discovery with the text and also spiritual transformation as you pair his comments with the text in Genesis.
July 11, 2019
Bible Story
The story of Joseph is well known. This book delves deeper into the more detailed thoughts of the main players in the story.
The story of Joseph is well known. This book delves deeper into the more detailed thoughts of the main players in the story.
December 8, 2019
An excellent analysis of the life, times and meaning of the life of Joseph.
March 1, 2021
Really good insight into Joseph & forgiveness
July 19, 2021
Excellent book on the life of Joseph and the duality of God's sovereignty and human responsibility.
May 15, 2022
An excellent book combining historical and linguistic analysis with biblical exegesis.
December 26, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, very insightful not just about Joseph but the Old Testament through New Testament.
April 26, 2024
Fresh insights into the life of Joseph. I am never disappointed with anything Lennox writes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews