Genesis 1-2
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
On Day 1 God spoke light into existence
David Guzik said this about that first light, “Genesis tells us that light, day, and night each existed before the sun and the moon were created on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19). This shows us that light is more than a physical substance; it also has a supernatural aspect. In the new heavens and the new earth, there won’t be any sun or moon. God Himself will be the light (Revelation 22:5).”
On Day 2 God spoke the firmament (the sky and space) into existence and divided the waters.
On Day 3 God spoke the grass, herbs, and trees into existence.
On Day 4 God spoke stars and planetary figures into existence.
On Day 5 God spoke the sea creatures and birds into existence.
On Day 6 God spoke the animals and insects into existence; but then God formed and fashioned man with His “hands,” and He made him/us in His own image (as rational, moral, spiritual, and social beings). (Genesis 1:26; 2:7).
On Day 7 God rested, modeling for us (even before the law) a day of rest, not to be mandated, but enjoyed.
In Genesis 2 we have man planted in the Garden of Eden; God states for the first time – something’s not good – that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). God identifies the problem and offers the solution, He determines to make a helper comparable to Adam. What a beautiful picture of marriage, how God fashioned the woman from a place within the man that was the closest to his heart.
Matthew Henry, “Eve was not taken out of Adam’s head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him.”
Marriage is the work and union of God, it’s Holy Matrimony that is not to be taken lightly, as Jesus said in:
Matthew 19:6 (NKJV) “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Genesis 2:24 is the application – the responsibility we have as married couples in light of what God has done for those of us who are married. We are to “leave and cleave,” for the rest of our lives!
To become one flesh refers to the bond of marriage (Matthew 19:5-6) and includes sexual intimacy (1 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 13:4).
Genesis 3-4
It’s heartbreaking to read of the fall of man. Adam and Eve were free to eat of all the other trees but they defiantly chose to disobey God. Eve was fooled, but Adam did it with eyes wide open, and therefore sin entered into our world through Adam (1 Timothy 2:14; Romans 5:12).
We have questions of a serpent talking and God walking in the garden. All I know is that it was the devil who deceived Eve and the fellowship between God and man before the fall must have been sweet.
But now, every time we see a snake slithering we’re reminded of the fall. Every time a woman gives birth in pain and anguish, we’re reminded of the fall. Man’s transition from tending a garden to toiling as a farmer in the sweat of his brow, is a reminder of the fall.
Genesis 3:16b is an interesting verse in the (NLT)
“Then he said to the woman, ‘…you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.’”
The New King James emphasizes the way the wife will desire her husband (to an extreme), while other translations point out that a part of the curse is woman’s desire to control her husband .
God was forced to expel Adam and Eve from the garden lest they eat of the Tree of Life and live in their fallen condition forever…but not without hope. Genesis 3:15 is called the Protoevangelium. Protoevangelium is comprised of two Greek words, protos meaning “first” and evangelion meaning “good news” or “gospel”. Thus the protevangelium in Genesis 3:15 is commonly referred to as the first mention of the good news of salvation in the Bible, because the prophecy states that the seed of Satan would bruise the heel of the Seed of Eve. We all know that women don’t have “seeds,” men do. This is therefore a prophecy of the Virgin Birth and the Lord Jesus Christ dealing Satan a deathblow (crushing his head) at the cross of Calvary.
Genesis 4 is such a sad account of the fall unfolding. Abel’s offering included faith while Cain’s did not (Hebrews 11:4). God spoke to Cain warning him that sin was knocking on the door of his heart. We read God’s words to Cain in:
Genesis 4:7 (NKJV) “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
This describes my daily battle!
Tragically Cain killed Abel (beware of the horror of jealousy/envy) and things went south fast.
Adam and Eve had many more sons and daughters and the multiplication of the depravity of man began.
But then we read those words of hope in: Genesis 4:26b, “…then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”
Genesis 5-7
It’s fascinating how Genesis 5:1 reminds us that we are created in the image and likeness of God, but Genesis 5:3 reveals that we are also born in the image and likeness of Adam (Romans 5:12). We are all fallen, in this sense, and depraved, we are all part of the “Adam’s Family.”
The Bible doesn’t tell us everything that has taken place in human history, only those things God determines we need to know. Genesis 5 streamlines us through the genealogy of Noah. Along the way we run into this man named Enoch. Enoch walked with God 300 years. He walked with God and “was not, for God took him (Genesis 5:24). Everyone else died, but not Enoch. He was beamed up and is therefore a picture of that generation who will not die, but those who will be raptured up (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-51).
Enoch is also mentioned in:
Hebrews 11:5 (NKJV) “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
The days got dark and demonic. It breaks my heart to read those words in Genesis 6:5-7. It reminds me of today. Evil is everywhere, deeply embedded in the heart of humanity. God in His justice, HAD to judge the world.
It’s important to know that there is a precedent for the rapture, and there is a precedent for worldwide judgment.
Genesis 6:8 (NKJV) “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
That’s the key for you and me, grace (John 1:14, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Noah did according to all that God commanded him. He built an ark with Godly fear in order to save his family, and in the process warned the world, who no doubt mocked him along the way. Some say it took him 120 years, but others (see Answers in Genesis) say it was probably between 20 and 40 years.
Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV) “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
Genesis 8-10
Below is an excellent timeline of the flood provided by Answers in Genesis. Imagine spending over a year in the ark! I remember one person saying that although the stench must have been horrible on the INSIDE of the ark, the judgment was much worse on the OUTSIDE of the ark. Friend, be sure to stay in the ark, even though at times it’s stinky and anything but smooth sailing.
In Genesis 9:3 God permits man to eat meat, without the blood.
In Genesis 9:6 we are reminded of the sanctity of human life.
Warren Wiersbe, “Murder is a terrible crime because man is made in the image of God, and to kill a human being is to attack God’s image.
The rainbow is a reminder that God will never judge the world through water (flood) again (Genesis 9:15-16). He will judge the world one day, but it will be by fire (2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20:9, 11).
Warren Wiersbe, “The sign of the covenant was the rainbow, a bridge of beauty that joins heaven and earth. Whether we look at the rainbow or not, God looks upon it and remembers His promises.”
It’s tragic that the LGBT community has hijacked the rainbow as a symbol for themselves and yet those of us who know the Scriptures see it in the context of worldwide judgment.
Through Noah’s sons we learn dramatically that our behavior today affects the future tomorrow – for good or evil. God help us to honor our parents and never gossip.
Warren Wiersbe, “Ham should have grieved over his father’s sins, not gloated over them (Proverbs 14:9). His brothers did what love always does: ‘covers all sins’ (Proverbs 10:12; 12:16; 17:9; 1 Peter 4:8).”
In Genesis 10:10 we have the beginning of Babylon through a man named Nimrod, a rebellious tyrant under the influence of the enemy. Babel means confusion, something God is not the author of (1 Corinthians 14:33). We’ll see much more of Babylon throughout the Bible.
Genesis 11:1-13:4
God had commanded the people to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28) but they resisted, they decided to stay put, to build themselves a city, and make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4) (something about that doesn’t sound good). Not only that, they wanted to build a tower whose “top is in the heavens.” (this is man’s effort to reach heaven – this is the origin of all false religion striving to enter heaven by their own works)
God saw what humanity was doing; a conversation took place amongst the Trinity (did you notice the word “Us” in Genesis 11:7?) and God gave different groups different dialects or languages which then forced them to scatter and fill the earth.
In Genesis 10:2 we have the genealogy of Japeth. In Genesis 10:6 we have the genealogy of Ham. In Genesis 11:10 we have the genealogy of Shem, Noah’s third son. So here we are in the 11th chapter of the book of Genesis, 2,000 years of world history have already taken place, but early on in the Bible, God introduces Abram (Abraham), who would be the father of the Jews, the people through whom we would receive the Scriptures and the Savior. The bulk of the Old Testament is simply the rise and fall of Israel, but God never forsakes His people though we fall at times and are disciplined.. Along the way we will see prophecies and typologies of Jesus – everywhere.
Abram steps out in faith and obediently answers the call of God to Canaan, which would eventually be the Promised Land. We read in:
Hebrews 11:8 (NKJV) “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
God chose to bless Abraham and through him God promised to blessed the world. Genesis 12:3 is an epic passage. It is important for us as nations and individuals to “bless” Israel – for through them, Jesus would come! Take a moment to consider God’s promise to this Patriarch:
“…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Abraham was not a perfect man, by any means! It’s hard to even fathom the thought that he lied about his wife, denying her, endangering her, and if it weren’t for God’s gracious intervention, it appears as if Sarai could have been a part of of Pharaoh’s harem. Wow! Not to excuse sin, but it does give hope to us all, doesn’t it?
God brought Abraham back to where he belonged (Genesis 13:3).
Genesis 13:5-15:21
There are those times when moves need to be made. In this case, Abram and his nephew Lot were growing with more people and possessions. Abram was the one who made the suggestion for separation so that there would be no strife between them (a good thing).
But Lot lacked wisdom. He did not investigate or scout out the land; it simply looked good to him. We read no record of him asking God (praying about where to go). Not only that, as a young man he should have left the decision to his uncle. I can’t help but think that these words we read in the Bible about Lot are derogatory in nature:
Genesis 13:1, “Then Lot chose for himself…”
God then gave to Abram what we call the Abrahamic Covenant. God promised Abram (Abraham) the land of Canaan extending all the way to the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18). Genesis 13:15 tells us that this promise is “forever”. Another part of this covenant is God’s promise to Abraham of an almost innumerable number of descendants. God has kept His promise to Abraham, and during the Millennial Kingdom Israel will claim all the land of the covenant.
It didn’t take long for Lot to fall into trouble, and he and his family were taken away by the enemy. When Abram heard, he came to his nephew’s rescue – recovering all. I’ve always been blessed by the fact that Abraham’s servants were ready for war, did you notice that he and his 318 servants were “trained” (Genesis 14:14)?
After the victory, enters this mysterious figure named Melchizedek, King of Salem. He was the Priest of God Most High. Although I can’t be dogmatic, I’m of the opinion that this was a theophany, that Melchizedek was none other than Jesus Christ.
- Jesus is the King of Salem (Jerusalem).
- Jesus is the final and forever High Priest of God (Psalm 110:4 – a prophecy of Jesus).
- Melchizedek’s name means, “King of Righteousness.”
- Melchizedek is described in the Bible as having no human genealogy; this is prior to the incarnation.
- Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:4).
- And isn’t it interesting that here in Genesis 14:18 we have the bread and the wine? Hmmm, where have I heard that spoken of in significance? (communion)
I believe it was Jesus who enabled Abraham to have that spiritual victory over the enemy. It’s the same victory He offers to all of us (Philippians 4:13).
What a beautiful passage in:
Genesis 15:1 (NKJV) “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’”
Again the LORD brought Abraham out and showed him all the stars (before human lights and pollution). The LORD said, “So shall your descendants be.” And then we read those epic words in:
Genesis 15:6 (NKJV) “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
This is one of the passages the New Testament writers will later point to as Scriptural proof of salvation by faith (not works). Abraham simply believed and was saved. He believed and God’s righteousness was accounted to him (see also Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). We are saved by faith not works, but, as James points out, if we’re truly saved, works WILL follow as evidence of salvation.
Genesis 16:1-18:15
The “clock” was running out (so they thought). Sarai was naturally too old to have a child. So Sarai convinces her husband Abram to go in to her maidservant Hagar in order to have children. It’s an absolute tragedy that Sarai and Abram refused to wait on the LORD. They decided to go the way of the world, of the flesh, and “help” God out. Hagar did indeed get pregnant, but immediately the unnecessary troubles began.
May God help us to wait on Him, to trust the LORD to fulfill His plans for our lives in His timing. The descendants of Ishmael would eventually become the Arab nations. (Click HERE for more on this)
Warren Wiersbe, “Faith and patience always go together (Hebrews 6:12; James 1:1–5). Isaiah declared, “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16). We must trust God not only for His plan but also for His timing. Before He could send the promised son, God had to wait until Abram and Sarai were as good as dead (Romans 4:19–21; Hebrews 11:11–12). Sarai leaned on human understanding instead of God’s promises (Proverbs 3:5–6). She trusted a woman from Egypt instead of the God of heaven.”
The LORD loves everyone involved, so when Hagar runs away He pursues her and convinces her to return to Sarai with a heart of submission. How gracious and personal God is! Hagar realizes this and even referred to the LORD as “El Roi” which means “The God-Who-Sees” (Genesis 16:13). The well nearby was then called “Beer Lahai Roi” which literally means, “The One Who lives and sees me.”
Wow!
As we experience the hard times in life, we need to remember, our way is not hidden from the Lord, He really does see and will act on our behalf…wait on Him (Isaiah 40:27-31).
Abram was 86-years-old when Ishmael was born (Genesis 16:16). God wouldn’t appeart to him for another 13 years (Genesis 17:1).
God changed his name from Abram ( high or exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude). Again, God promised Abraham the Land, and again God promised Abraham many descendants. God then instituted circumcision as a covenant between them which symbolized the cutting away of the flesh (the fallen sin nature). God promised a son to Abraham through his wife and changed her name from Sarai (she that strives) to Sarah (princess, a woman of high rank).
When the LORD promised a son to this couple, Abraham laughed and doubted. Sarah later laughed as well (Genesis 17:17; 18:12), so much for their amazing faith. I find it encouraging as a parent that Abraham had been praying for Ishmael and God said He had heard those prayers (Genesis 17:20). Abraham assumed Ishmael was the child of promise, but God said no, His covenant would be through Isaac (his name means laughter). Doesn’t that bring a smile to your heart?
Why the delay? Many factors are involved in God’s timing but ultimately when Isaac was born, there would be absolutely no doubt about it – this son is a miracle!
Hebrews 11:12 (NKJV) “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.”
Genesis 18:16-19:38
Abraham was a friend of God (see 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23) and God makes much more known to His friends than He does to others (see John 15:15).
The LORD lets Abraham know that He was considering complete judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, so God sent the two men (angels) before Him. Abraham immediately thought of his nephew Lot, so he began to intercede on His behalf. This is a fascinating conversation/prayer between Abraham and God. Abraham begins by expresses his faith in the justice of God, “Far be it from You…to slay the righteous with the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
As Abraham continued to pray, he asked God not to judge the righteous with the wicked, in all reality he was praying for his nephew Lot. He asked the Lord, would You spare the city for 50? 45? 40? 30? 20?
And then we read in:
Genesis 18:32 (NKJV) “Then he said, ‘Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: suppose ten should be found there?’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.’”
Apparently there weren’t even ten righteous in these cities, so our just and holy God was forced to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. We read back in Genesis 18:20 that the outcry against these cities was great, that their sin was grave, it was flagrant. No doubt there were MANY sins in Sodom and Gomorrah, but a simple reading of the account reveals blatant, unashamed, and aggressive homosexuality. This sin was so horrible in the eyes of even the marginal believer Lot, that he offered his daughters as wives instead of the men. But the men of Sodom and Gomorrah would not back down.
God was forced to judge Sodom and Gomorrah and rained down fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:23), but before He did, God was merciful to Lot (Genesis 19:16) and his two daughters. God remembered the prayers of intercession from His friend Abraham (Genesis 19:29) and removed them before the land was leveled.
So many lessons to learn.
1. The value of intercession.
2. That God won’t judge the righteous with the wicked, pointing to the Rapture of the Church before the Tribulation Period (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
3. The sin of homosexuality (something that used to be recognized as wrong is now strutting down main street – aggressively).
4. The way we need to flee the counsel of this world, its ways, and the judgment to come.
5. May I never look back, as Lot’s wife did and was turned into a pillar of salt. Lot’s wife didn’t simply look back to see the fireworks, she wanted to go back; somehow her heart was attached and wouldn’t let go. Jesus warned us in:
Luke 17:32 (NKJV) “Remember Lot’s wife.”
Got Questions said this about Lot’s wife, “The Hebrew for “looked back” means more than to glance over one’s shoulder. It means “to regard, to consider, to pay attention to.” The Scriptures don’t say whether her death was a punishment for valuing her old life so much that she hesitated in obeying, or if it was a simple consequence of her reluctance to leave her life quickly. Either she identified too much with the city—and joined it—or she neglected to fully obey God’s warning, and she died.”
Jesus also said in:
Luke 9:62 (NKJV) “‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”
In Genesis 19:30-38 we have the horrible beginning of the nations of Moab and Ammon through drunken incest. What a broken world we live in.
Genesis 20:1-22:24
It’s important to know that a half-truth is a whole lie. It’s hard to fathom the thought that Abraham and Sarah once again lied like this about their relationship. It’s true, Abraham was the half-brother of Sarah (Genesis 20:12) but they were married, they were husband and wife. Hadn’t they learned their lesson? Apparently not. But the LORD showed them grace upon grace, He protected them and the promise He made to them.
Warren Wiersbe, “God spoke to the heathen king but not to His own friend, Abraham! Although God kept the king from sinning, He allowed Abraham to lie! God called Abraham to be a blessing, but now he had become a curse in the land. God was protecting Sarah, Isaac, and His great plan of salvation.”
I love what we read in Genesis 21:2, “…at the set time.”
God is never late, but neither is He ever early, He is always right on time. Abraham was 100, Sarah was 90 (Genesis 17:17) the child of promise was an undeniable miracle.
The time came for Hagar and Ishmael to be cast out (Ishmael is typology of the flesh – Galatians 4:21-30). Earlier in life, Sarah steered her husband Abraham wrong, this time her counsel was correct. Abraham didn’t want to do it, but God confirmed it and he obeyed…for in Isaac his seed would be called (Genesis 21:12).
The truth of God’s perpetual presence in Abraham’s life is a truth about all of God’s people (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). Do others notice that about you? May it be evident in us as it was in Abraham, so that even non-believers will take note.
Genesis 21:22 (NKJV) “And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, ‘God is with you in all that you do.’”
Genesis 22 is an epic chapter. This is the first time the word “love” is found in the Bible (that sounds significant to me).
God tested Abraham.
Genesis 22:2 (NKJV) “Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’”
As I try to put myself in Abraham’s sandals, I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around the request to sacrifice my son, especially considering the miraculous birth, and the promise of God. But Abraham did not hesitate to obey. How was he able to do this? We have the explanation in New Testament light.
Hebrews 11:17–19 (NKJV) “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”
Abraham completely believed God’s promise; Abraham was thoroughly convinced that even if Isaac died, he would be raised from the dead.
Genesis 22 is an amazing picture (typology) of what would actually take place close to 2,000 years later, when God the Father would give His only Son, the Son that He loved, Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sins. When Isaac asked his father about the sacrifice, Abraham’s response was literally, “The LORD will provide Himself the Lamb.”
Another fascinating fact is the location of the sacrifice. One day the Temple would be built at this exact location, on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1).
Genesis 22:14 is the origin of another one of God’s Names – Yawheh-Yireh (Jehovah Jireh) = the Lord will provide. May we remember His name and promise to provide!
Abraham passed the test with flying colors. O Lord, may we do the same whenever our love is tested!
Genesis 23:1-24:51
The account of Sarah’s death and burial in Genesis 23 should capture our attention.
Warren Wiersbe said, “Sarah is the only woman named in the Bible whose age is given and burial described. It was the death of a princess, a woman of faith (see Hebrews 11:11–13).”
In 1 Peter 3:1-6 Sarah is lifted up to the ladies as an exemplary wife.
Understandably Abraham was hurting deeply at the passing of his lifelong companion, we read in:
Genesis 23:2b (NKJV) “…and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.”
I’m sure most of you have noticed by now that this present planet is not actually the land of the living, it’s more like the land of the dying. And although we who are believers will see our loved ones in Christ again, we still mourn deeply. Christians still cry, and even Jesus wept (John 11:35), but we don’t sorrow as those without hope.
Abraham purchased a place to bury his beloved wife, and even though the entire land had been promised to him – this grave would be the only land he would own on this side of time. Again, some insightful words from Warren Wiersbe, “He paid a high price for what became one of the most famous tombs in Bible history, and eventually six people were buried there (Genesis 49:31–32). Abraham owned only one thing on earth: a grave. Genesis ends with a full tomb, but the gospel story ends with an empty tomb! And because Jesus Christ lives, we who trust in Him never need fear death.”
In Genesis 24 we have a beautiful story of Abraham doing all that he can to make sure that his son marries a good and Godly woman. The providence of God in putting two people together as husband and wife is never mundane, but this story is especially special. The servant sets a fleece before the Lord, and God answered him before even before he finished speaking/praying (Genesis 24:15). Rebekah simply did a good deed for a stranger, but you never know when God is measuring you for something great – this good deed on her part would lead to Rebekah’s place in the family tree of the Messiah.
This story is also a beautiful picture of God the Father gathering a bride for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you notice that the servant’s name is not mentioned? The reason for that is because the servant who gathers a bride for the son, is a picture of the Holy Spirit, who is gathering a bride (the church) for Christ. The Holy Spirit never draws attention to Himself. We’ll see next time how Rebekah is shown the treasures of a life far away, she hears the words of the servant, and is then asked to make a personal decision on whether or not she will commit to this relationship. It pictures the proposal we’ve been given from Jesus, God’s Son, as presented to us by the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 24:52-26:16
We continue the story of the servant securing a bride for Isaac, which is a picture of the Holy Spirit gathering a bride for Christ.
Rebekah’s brother and mother attempted to hinder her from going to Isaac (Genesis 24:55), but the servant pushed. Ultimately they all agreed to ask her personally (Genesis 24:57). Rebekah’s response is courageous – she said yes to the proposal – she saw God’s hand in it all. We read her response in:
Genesis 24:58 (NKJV) “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ And she said, ‘I will go.’”
This is how it is for every single Christian and their relationship with God. It’s a personal decision. Will you follow the prompting and proposal of the Holy Spirit to enter in to this permanent relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ? It’s up to you. Can you see the treasures? Do you hear His Word? Will you say yes to Jesus?
In Genesis 24:64 Rebekah sees Issac for the first time. What a moment this is. Christian, consider the moment when we finally see Jesus for the first time! 1 Peter 1:8 speaks of the fact that although we have never seen Jesus, we love Him…but one day we’ll see Him.
We read in Genesis 24:67 that Isaac “loved her.” The ultimate calling for every husband (Ephesians 5:25).
In Genesis 25 we see further reason for Abraham’s name (father of a multitude). Abraham married Keturah and God visited him again and blessed him with more children; but God makes it clear that Isaac was the child of promise.
It took 20 years, but in much waiting, praying, and even pleading (Genesis 25:21) Isaac and Rebekah eventually conceived. There were twins in her womb.
Warren Wiersbe, “Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. For twenty years, they waited for a family that did not come. God blessed Isaac in everything but the thing he wanted most. He and Rebekah knew that God had promised descendants (Genesis 15:5), so Isaac laid hold of the promise and prayed. True prayer lays hold of God’s Word (John 15:7) and seeks to accomplish God’s purposes.”
Early on in the womb it was made manifest to mom that these boys would both be patriarchs of nations, and that the older would serve the younger. I don’t believe it was fate, it was simply God’s foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2). God knew that one day Esau would despise his birthright and sell it for some soup.
Apparently it was okay for Isaac to spend time in the land of the Philistines, during the famine, but it was not okay for him to lie about his wife for his own protection. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Isaac’s father had done the same thing – repeatedly. Our children don’t usually do as we say, they do as we do.
God graciously kept and continued to reveal His promise to Isaac along with the reasoning behind it:
Genesis 26:4–5 (NKJV) “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
God was raising up the lineage of Abraham through Isaac – (the nation of Israel) because of the fact that through Israel “…all the nations of the earth,” would be blessed. Through Israel we received the Savior and the Scriptures. He chose Israel to reach others, it manifests His love for the whole wide world.
Genesis 26:17-27:46
At this point in his life, Isaac is doing “well.” In this section we read about four wells Isaac dug. The first two, are wells that are disputed, but the third and fourth seemed to work out peacefully.
As you probably know, water is a precious commodity and Bible teachers tell us that claiming a well was the equivalent of claiming ownership of the land. Isaac was being bullied, but Isaac was passive by nature (Genesis 25:27; Romans 12:18). Eventually they were able to work out a covenant and the reasoning should be an inspiration for us as believers:
Genesis 26:28 (NKJV) “But they said, ‘We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you.’’”
Is it evident to others (even non-believers), that the LORD is with us?
Not only was Isaac digging wells, he also began to build altars. The LORD appeared to him and reaffirmed His promise to Israel (Genesis 26:4-5).
The whole account of Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing is a bit bizarre (from my perspective) but it’s only because I lack the grace that our amazing God gives. God lavished Jacob with grace.
Isn’t it sad what we read back in:
Genesis 25:28 (NKJV) “And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”
Parents should never have favorites…but God gave grace.
It was wrong for Jacob to steal his brother’s blessing – and the way he and his mother did it, lie after lie, after lie – how could it merit God’s blessing? God gave grace.
God had revealed to Rebekah that the older would serve the younger back in Genesis 25:23, but she should have allowed God to work it out; we are not to deceptively help God out…but He gave grace upon grace.
As we continue our journey in the Scriptures we will see THROUGHOUT the Bible the many, many failures of God’s chosen people (the Bible doesn’t hide them), it records it all, etched in history – how could God use and choose them? There’s only one explanation, God’s amazing grace.
The same is true for my life and yours, take heart…and be strong in His grace (2 Timothy 2:1). Use, but don’t abuse it.
At least Jacob believed in the blessing of God! Do I? Do you believe in the blessing of your birthright as a child of God?
Esau may have been going through the motions of believing in the blessing, but did he really have God’s promise in his heart? Why did he marry pagan women who were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:34), sapping Rebekah even of her very life? (Genesis 27:46). If a believer marries a non-believer they also marry many heartaches, and run the risk of turning away from God themselves (1 Kings 11:4).
Be careful!
One last thing before we leave this section – some believe Esau was doomed from the get-go because the Bible tells us that God loved Jacob and hated Esau (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13). The simple explanation for this is that Jacob was a believer in the LORD; he was saved and favored by God who saw his faith…even before time began (1 Peter 1:2). There is a difference when comparing my children, to all others, not that I “hate” others in the English sense of the word, but the Hebrew idiom means my love is greater for my children, for my bride, for my family when compared to all others.
Genesis 28:1-29:35
Isaac and Rebekah send their son Jacob to Haran – that he would not marry any of the daughters of Canaan. The Bible clearly forbids believers to marry non-believers (2 Corinthians 6:14), for their non-believing spouse has the powerful potential to turn their heart away from the Lord (that’s what happened to Solomon, 1 Kings 11:4).
Isaac realizes the blessing truly has fallen to Jacob so he blesses him volitionally (Genesis 28:3-4).
In a futile attempt to please his parents, Esau takes as wife a daughter of Ishmael his half brother, but when someone functions in the flesh, they make all the wrong moves.
The LORD appeared to Jacob in a dream revealing the “connection” and intervention between heaven and earth. The LORD confirmed to Jacob the Abrahamic covenant of land and descendants, and how through him, “…all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This of course is a prophecy of Jesus Christ.
In response, Jacob built an altar, he didn’t want to forget this dream. He renamed the city Bethel, which means “House of God,” and in Jacob-like-fashion He made a deal with God, promising to give the LORD a tithe of his possessions if God would be with him, keep him, and provide for him so that he would one day return to his father’s house.
Jacob arrives in the land, 500 miles away from home, asking for his uncle Laban. The men know Laban and point out the fact that his daughter, Rachel, was approaching as they spoke. For Jacob it was “love at first sight.” Initially I thought it was wrong that he kissed her on their first date (Genesis 29:11), but then I noticed that his uncle kissed Jacob when he saw him (Genesis 29:13), so we should give Jacob the benefit of the doubt (but I still wonder).
The formation of this family, keep in mind Jacob eventually becomes Israel…is flooded with grace.
Every husband should be inspired by Genesis 29:20 but I wonder if Jacob’s love at this point was eros (erotic) and not agape (divinely unconditional, true love).
Genesis 29:20 (NKJV) “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.”
Jacob got a strong dose of his own medicine, when his uncle Laban deceived him by getting him drunk and slipping in the older sister, Leah, as wife (Genesis 29:25). Imagine that! But no worries Laban has a plan, just serve another seven years and I’ll give you my younger daughter also. More than likely Jacob didn’t have to wait until the seven years were over to receive Rachel, but he DID work the full term for his second wife.
Why did Jacob love Rachel so much? Genesis 29:17 informs us that Rachel was beautiful and had a nice figure. I do not believe those are the ingredients or factors for true love. Love is something rooted in the lover, not in the object of love, and how awful it is when a husband does not love his wife – such was the case for Jacob towards Leah – the Bible says in:
Genesis 29:31 (NKJV) “…the LORD saw that Leah was unloved…”
What a heavy indictment of a husband!
It’s heartbreaking to see the way Leah hoped that with the birth of each child her husband would love her. Thankfully, by her fourth child she lifted her eyes to heaven rather than looking to her husband (Judah’s name means “praise”) and she was able to praise the LORD.
Genesis 30:1-31:16
Up to this point Jacob has had four children through Leah, so Rachel is fuming. Jacob was right, not in his anger, but in his theology, his anthropology – God alone is the giver of life.
As a quick side-note, polygamy was practiced back in these days and culture, but from the beginning, it was never God’s intention.
Again, it’s difficult for us to fathom, but Rachel gives her maidservant to Jacob in order that she might have children on her behalf, and sure enough, Bilhah gives birth to Dan and Naphtali. I’m fascinated by the meaning of each of the names of the sons of Jacob, and what a story this is, but underneath it all, I can’t help but see God’s pure grace covering such a dysfunctional family.
Finally, Rachel gives birth to Joseph. The Bible says, “God remembered Rachel, and listened to her.” (Genesis 30:22). Not that God ever forgets us, it’s simply that He answers our prayers according to His perfect will and timing. It may “seem” like He forgets us during our difficult days, but He never, ever does (Isaiah 49:15). May that encourage you today.
The Bible says in:
Romans 8:31 (NKJV) “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Laban, Lucifer, and maybe even the circumstances of life were against Jacob, but since God was for Him, God was working out His plan for Jacob and his family; it was evident that the LORD was blessing through Jacob (Genesis 30:27), so Laban asked Jacob to stay with him…and he did; all together it totaled twenty years.
Some say there was a science to the multiplication of Jacob’s flock, but most say there’s no natural explanation behind it – it’s just the Lord who chose to bless Jacob and multiply his livestock.
Fallen human nature tends to envy when others get blessed and such was the case with Laban and his sons. Circumstances were beginning to dictate that it was time for Jacob to go back to the land of promise, and then the LORD clearly confirmed it:
Genesis 31:3 (NKJV) “Then the LORD said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.’”
It helps even more in discerning the will of God, when our wife is in complete agreement, and I love their response in:
Genesis 31:16b (NKJV) “…now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
A word to us all!
Genesis 31:17-32:12
After 20 years of life with Laban, Jacob doesn’t trust him in the slightest, so he takes his family and runs away. This is a good example of doing the right thing the wrong way (yes that is possible). Eventually Laban finds out and catches up to him. Did Jacob actually think he could run away from his problems?
But God went before Jacob and protected him by warning Laban in a dream as he shares in:
Genesis 31:29 (NKJV) “It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’”
Laban had the ability and was no doubt persuaded he had the right, to judge Jacob, but God commanded him to stand down…and once again we see God’s protection over the nation.
Both men were upset with each other, and both men had valid points. They eventually declared a truce, which is better than a war, but not as good as simply dwelling together in unity (Psalm 133; Ephesians 4:3).
The whole concept of stealing someone’s god has always puzzled me. We’re not sure why Rachel stole her father’s idol; apparently it was special to her, which is a huge red flag indicating something carnal and common (even in the lives of God’s chosen people), secret idols in their hearts. John the beloved warned us of this in:
1 John 5:21 (NKJV) “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”
God repeatedly revealed to Jacob that He was with him, even allowing him to see the angelic realm (Genesis 32:1-2) but Jacob’s fear refused to fade. Jacob’s scheming was the story of his life (his name means heel-catcher, conniver, and even deceiver). It’s hard to say you trust God when all along you’re trying to trick man. It’s not really possible to be a believer in God and a manipulator of people simultaneously. Jacob needed to change.
Warren Weirsbe said this about Jacob, “He saw the army of angels protecting him, but even that didn’t encourage his faith. One minute Jacob prayed for God’s help, and the next minute he devised some new way to appease his angry brother. He reminded God of His great promises and then acted as though God had never spoken. This is the conduct of a believer who needed to be broken before God. He prayed to be delivered from Esau, but his greatest need was to be delivered from himself.”
Don’t we all need to be delivered from ourselves? The three enemies we war against, are this fallen world, these fallen angels (the devil and his demons), and my fallen nature – and of three – the greatest enemy is me.
Genesis 32:13-34:31
The last time Jacob saw his brother – Esau had it in his heart to kill him for “stealing” his blessing and birthright (Genesis 27:36, 41). Now Esau is on the march to meet Jacob with four hundred men! Jacob is definitely worried. He forms three different droves of family, with distance between them to meet Esau with certain gifts and certain words in his attempt to appease his brother. It grieves our heart to see the way Jacob separated his family, and even the way they were separated, revealing Jacob’s favoritism. We read Jacob’s reasoning back in:
Genesis 32:8 (NKJV) “And he said, ‘If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.’”
Esau, however, had been blessed over the past twenty years, so his anger had subsided and his heart had changed. He was happy to see his brother Jacob, and in an amazing display of grace, they didn’t even have to hash things out in a long drawn out debate or conversation. God worked it out.
Every once in a while, God genuinely works things out like that; love covers a multitude of sins.
Proverbs 10:12 (NKJV) “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”
The previous night Jacob wrestled with God until the breaking of day! (Genesis 32:24) As a former wrestler myself, who left six-minute matches thoroughly exhausted, I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to wrestle all night long. But Jacob did just that, he was a fighter. Of course this was one of those wrestling matches, similar to a father and his little boy – dad was playing with His kid but simultaneously teaching him. In the end, Jacob shows his resilience “I will not let you go unless you bless me!” So God blessed him by changing his name and touching his hip, Jacob would limp for the rest of his life and therein have a perpetual reminder of his need to lean on the Lord.
I’ve heard many different meanings of the two names over the years, but the ones that seems to make the most sense in my assessment is that Jacob means, “heel catcher and conniver,” while Israel means, “Governed by God.” (Big difference) We see God change names frequently in the Bible, it’s His way of stimulating some sort of new beginning that would go beyond a changed name, but a changed life.
The story of Dinah, Shechem, and the Shechemites is heartbreaking all the way around. It goes to show the depth of depravity and how there really is no easy answer to such sin. Jacob seemed as if he was open to his daughter marrying the man who raped her and then mingling with the people – what an epic error that would have been! Jacob’s sons, on the other hand (Dinah’s brothers) deceived the citizens of Shechem and murdered, not just the offender, but all the men. That’s not right either. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
God doesn’t condone their action; He’s simply recording the history of a very fallen, broken, and wicked world…and even how we, His people fall infinitely short!
Genesis 35:1-36:43
The patriarchs built altars to commemorate and remember their special times with God. It’s wise to have tangible ways to ensure those significant times are not forgotten, where in one sense, God has spoken to you loud and clear…for we are a terribly forgetful people.
It had been twenty years since Jacob fled to Haran from Beersheba, and it was there in Bethel that God appeared to him, promising to bless him, be with him, and to bring him back. It took a couple of decades but God kept His promise to Jacob as stated back in:
Genesis 28:15 (NKJV) “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
It’s beautiful to read the exhortation of Jacob to his family as he took steps to “clean house” in preparation for a new beginning:
Genesis 35:2–3 (NKJV) “And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.’”
This reminds me of Joshua 24:23-24. I believe that saying is true, “The Christian life is simply a series of new beginnings.”
As we go forward in the narrative, it will be important to distinguish Israel from the other nations. We therefore read, once again, that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 35:10). THIS is the family through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed…it would be through the nation of Israel.
It’s tough to read of Rachel passing while giving birth (Genesis 35:19), and the pain she experienced in the process (she called her son Ben-Oni = Son of my Sorrow). But for God’s people, death is simply a departure from earth to heaven (did you catch what we read there in Genesis 35:18? “…as her soul was departing”). Paul the Apostle said the same thing when he was facing death:
2 Timothy 4:6 (NKJV) “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
In light of this, Jacob changed his son’s name to Benjamin, which means Son of my Right hand, the place of power and honor.
This chapter also records the death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse (Genesis 35:8) who may have been a nanny to Jacob; as well as the death of Isaac, Jacob’s father, who passed away at 180 years of age (Genesis 35:28). It must have been a tough time for Jacob to lose a friend, a wife, and a father, but isn’t it beautiful the way the Bible describes Isaac’s death as being “gathered to his people?” We look forward to seeing God and all our loved ones who have died in faith. This is why Paul the Apostle calls it the “Ministry of Reconciliation,” in 2 Corinthians 5:18.
In Genesis 35:22 we read about Reuben’s fling with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. We could have sped read right by the account considering it insignificant, but this single act of sexual sin would cost Reuben his birthright (see Genesis 49:3-4; 1 Chronicles 5:1; Galatians 6:7-8). We better consider the cost before yielding to temptation, it may be more expensive than we would have ever imagined.
In Genesis 36 we have the genealogy of Esau who we read three times, was the father of the Edomites (Genesis 36:1, 8, 43). God wanting to make this distinction very clear, Esau was the father of the Edomites, and Jacob was the father of the Israelites.
We read in Genesis 36:12 a name that would eventually be a nemesis to Israel. Amalek was the father of the Amalekites.
Genesis 37:1-38:30
The life of Joseph is a wonderful lesson on the providence and sovereignty of God. We’ll be able to track his journey from the pit to the palace and even the prison along the way.
It begins with the favoritism of his father. Sadly, Jacob had received this model from his parents, who also had favorites and loved one child over another (Genesis 25:28). God help us, as parents, never to have favorites, for we see the hatred it produced:
Genesis 37:4 (NKJV) “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”
Got Questions had this to say about the coat (tunic) of many colors, “As to the coat of many colors itself, the most common outer garment of this type was nothing more than a long cloth with a hole in its middle. After draping the long cloth over the shoulders, a rope or a belt was fastened around the waist. Some expositors argue that this particular coat was especially valued because sleeves were sewn into the garment. Others believe the coat was ornamented by many colors. The real issue, of course, has nothing to do with colors or sleeves. Jacob presented the special coat to Joseph as a sign that Joseph was esteemed above his brothers. The coat signified Joseph as being Jacob’s choice as the future head of the clan—an honor normally bestowed upon the firstborn son.”
Joseph’s dreams probably should have been kept to himself, but hey, he’s only 17-years-old; maturity is necessary in order to keep a secret. God was showing him the future to encourage him through the hard times. We’ll see later that Joseph had the ability to interpret dreams, so he may have understood something special was on the horizon, maybe even the details about his destiny.
His brother hated and envied him for his dreams (Genesis 37:3, 5, 8, 11). His father rebuked him, but simultaneously kept the matter in mind.
The day of “opportunity” came – his brothers had it in their hearts to murder Joseph. God intervened and Joseph was sold into slavery instead. His brothers deceived their father into thinking that Joseph had been mauled by wild beasts (in one sense he had been). Oh the terrible grief and guilt this would bring to the family for the next thirteen long and hard years.
As we journey through the Old Testament it will be impossible to mention all the types and shadows of the coming Christ, but we can mention a few. Warren Wiersbe said this about Joseph, “As you read the life of Joseph, you see in him a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph was greatly loved by his father (Genesis 37:3; Matthew 3:17), hated and envied by his brothers (John 15:25; Mark 15:10), plotted against, sold as a slave, arrested unjustly, and made to suffer. But he went from suffering to glory and became the savior of the people who had rejected him.”
Genesis 38 seems a bit out of place from our perspective. The next twelve chapters will focus on Joseph, why do we have this horrible story about Judah and his family?
Judah marries a non-believer. His wife dies. Two of his sons are struck dead by God for their wickedness. He rejects his responsibility to his daughter-in-law of the levirate marriage. He then goes in to a woman he thought was a prostitute (but it turned out to be his daughter-in-law Tamar). When he finds out she’s pregnant through prostitution he’s about to burn her, until he discovers that he’s the father! Wow! And the Messiah would one day come through this lineage of Judah and Tamar (Matthew 1:3).
This is how it all went down, it’s just the truth, and another story of stunning grace.
Genesis 39:1-41:16
As you read through this portion of Joseph’s life the one truth that stands out, is how the LORD was with him through it all, and blessed him in spite of his circumstances.
While he was a slave in Potiphar’s house we read:
Genesis 39:2 (NKJV) “The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”
Genesis 39:3 (NKJV) “And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.”
While he was a prisoner, God gave him favor, and we read:
Genesis 39:21 (NKJV) “ But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
Genesis 39:23 (NKJV) “The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.”
Even the New Testament commentary on the life of Joseph offers the same summary:
Acts 7:9 (NKJV) “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him.”
It’s comforting to know that no matter what God’s people go through in life, He’s with us through it all, and working it all out for good (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:28).
Joseph was tempted in one of the most difficult areas of life, he was tempted sexually. Here was a young man who was handsome and well built. No doubt Potiphar’s wife was a knock-out, stunningly beautiful, but Joseph held to his integrity and did not cave in to sexual sin. We read his perfect reasoning in:
Genesis 39:9b (NKJV) ”…how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
He passed the test, which led to more tests. He was cast into prison, even the dungeon (Genesis 40:15).
But God showed him favor in prison as well and Joseph was promoted to the point that we read in:
Genesis 39:23 (NKJV) “The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.”
Joseph was blessed by God, gifted as an administrator, and even gifted by God in the interpretation of dreams. His accurate interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh’s butler and baker led to an eventual audience with the human ruler of the world, as God was about to bring Joseph’s dreams to pass. It took 13 long years for that 17-year-old to see his dreams come true, but with God, it’s not about time, it’s about timing. Let’s learn from Joseph, be patient, be faithful, don’t lose heart – that we may see God’s plans for our lives come to pass.
Genesis 41:17-42:17
Pharaoh revealed his dreams to Joseph who, by the Spirit of God interprets his dreams. There would be 7 years of great abundance followed by 7 years of extreme famine.
A quick word on dreams, a word you’ll find 109 times in the Bible. Most dreams we have are not a message from God. As a matter of fact “they” say that everyone dreams 3 to 5 times each night, some people even more. Most of the dreams we have are forgotten, but some are remembered, and it is possible that God may communicate to us in a dream. Personally, over my 31 years as a Christian, I can say that God has spoken to me a handful of times in very vivid ways through dreams, they’ve been unforgettable. But the usual form of communication between God and mankind is His Word – the Bible, so don’t put too much weight in dreams. We read a warning in:
Jeremiah 23:28 (NKJV) “‘The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the LORD.”
Dreams are as chaff in comparison to God’s Word – but – there may be times when God speaks through dreams.
Joseph has been prepared for this moment all his life and he not only interprets the dream, he offers wise counsel to Pharaoh who is so impressed, that he immediately promotes Joseph second only to him! We read in:
Genesis 41:40–41 (NKJV) “‘You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.’ 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’”
Overnight Joseph was blessed with wealth, a world-saving work, and a wife, who would give him children. This 30-year-old in Egypt has come a long way from that 17-year-old back in the land of Canaan (Genesis 37:2). In 13 years he’s grown wise beyond his age, and the trials and excruciatingly hard times of life were the tools God used to shape him for such a times as this.
In the names of Joseph’s sons we see how a person is not limited to and defined by our past. As a matter of fact, Christians can look back at our blunders and hard times with forgetfulness, and look forward to a future of fruitfulness (as we keep in mind that God is with us – in everything).
I always smile, and sometimes laugh whenever I read:
Genesis 42:1 (NKJV) “When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why do you look at one another?’”
Why do you just stand there looking at each other? Get to work! Get some food!
I can’t even begin to imagine the thoughts that were flowing through Joseph’s mind when he saw his brothers. I’ll bet he knew this day would come. I wonder if he had it all planned out from the beginning in how he would deal with them? In retrospect, I’m glad he didn’t let them off too easily, they needed to be tested, they needed to deal with it, and search their hearts. Had they learned anything from the terrible sin of selling their brother into slavery? Joseph needed to find out.
Genesis 42:18-43:34
Joseph changed his mind and decided to restrain (imprison), only one of his brothers, and allow the others to go home. If they returned to Egypt with their youngest brother Benjamin, then they could trade safely in the land. Joseph was testing his brothers, he also wanted to confirm that they hadn’t done the same thing to Benjamin that they had done to him.
The brothers interpreted this as punishment for their sin against Joseph 13-years earlier.
Unrepentant sin has the potential to haunt us for the rest of our lives.
When Joseph heard his brothers having this conversation, acknowledging their sin, aware of God’s hand of justice and discipline, he turned himself away from them and wept (Genesis 42:24). The pain was still there…after all these years.
God gave Joseph wisdom and used him to force these men to deal with their sin and think this one through. Even the fact that he returned each man’s money to him brought fear to their hearts (Genesis 42:28). When they told their father Jacob, he said something interesting in:
Genesis 42:36 (NKJV) “And Jacob their father said to them, ‘You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.’”
I can’t say I blame him for what he said, it DID appear as if things were off track, but they weren’t, God was working behind the scenes in part of a bigger plan that went beyond the family but included them. Joseph was alive, Simeon and Benjamin would be fine, and these things were not AGAINST him, in all reality, all these things were for him! (Romans 8:31).
Eventually the brothers were forced to return to Egypt with Benjamin, they had to eat. When they arrived they were to dine at the home of the Prime Minister of Egypt, Zaphnath-Paaneah, they had no idea it was their brother Joseph.
O Lord, please help me to know that You’re working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). When I look at some of the particulars of life personally and nationally, I can easily get discouraged, so please Lord, help me to lift my eyes to You and trust You knowing that You really are working something glorious behind the scenes.
Genesis 44:1-45:28
They broke bread together the night before and in the morning Joseph’s brothers will be on their merry way, but little do they know that they’re still being tested. Joseph has his house steward plant a silver cup in the sack of his youngest brother Benjamin, and then overtakes them on their journey, in his quest to retrieve his cup and capture the culprit. The sons of Jacob deny any part in any of this, so much so that we read in:
Genesis 44:9 (NKJV) “With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
The steward finds the silver cup in the sack of Benjamin.
Genesis 44:13 (NKJV) “Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.”
Why did Joseph do this? It’s obvious to see that he was testing his brothers to find out if there was any conviction, any change of heart, any love for their father after all these years? Would they allow Benjamin to stay in Egypt as a slave, essentially doing the same thing to him as they had done to Joseph years earlier?
Miraculously, Joseph discovered that something HAD changed. All the brothers were repentant and Judah begged that he’d be taken as slave in Benjamin’s place. His heart could not bear the thought of the pain it would cause his father Jacob, to lose another son, who yes, he favored.
They had passed the test. Joseph could no longer restrain himself, and he revealed his identity to his brothers. I’m blown away with Joseph’s words in:
Genesis 45:5 (NKJV) “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
Joseph softens the blow of conviction by telling his brothers, not to feel condemned about what they’d done; that it was all part of God’s plan to save lives. Joseph goes on to say in:
Genesis 45:7–8 (NKJV) “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”
Joseph embraced his brothers and and wept on their necks (Genesis 45:14-15). He harbored no bitterness. He had completely forgiven them.
Wow! How many of have not forgiven people who have done far less to us?
How was Joseph able to forgive like this? By the strength that God gives, and by the plan that God has. Joseph saw the Providence of God even in the Pit and the Prison which led to the Palace.
God help us to see the same truth for all of our lives, we’re in His hands and nowhere else. He will take those tragedies and turn them to victories, He will make a message out the mess, He will grant a testimony through all of our testing, and He really does make beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
I’m elated when I consider how Jacob must have felt in hearing the news that not only was his son Joseph alive, but Joseph was, “…a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler through all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 45:8) The Bible says Jacob’s heart stood still when they told him; but the shock morphed into determination. He would make the journey to see his son…who in one sense had been raised from the dead.
Joseph is a typology of Jesus in many ways – hated by his brethren, victorious over temptation, sold for silver, and especially in the fact that He saved the world. But I love what we see in this section, how he is revealed to his brothers (the sons of Israel), the second time around. Jesus will be made known to the Jews, at His Second Coming.
Genesis 46:1-47:31
Israel was getting hit with doubt and fear in going down to Egypt, but God spoke to him in the visions of the night. God assured him that He was with him, and reaffirmed His promise to make them a great nation and grant them the land.
Just as a quick side-note, isn’t it interesting how in one sentence the Bible refers to the same man as Israel AND Jacob? (Genesis 46:2) We will see that throughout the rest of the Scriptures, that both names are used, interchangeably, Jacob and Israel. I don’t want to read too much into it, but maybe it’s because it serves as a reminder that we all posses two natures. There are two “sides” of us until the day we die. Sometimes I walk in the Spirit and I’m Israel (Governed by God), but other times, I’m sorry to say, I’m not.
Israel’s family had grown to 70 (Genesis 46:27). At the time of this post the Jewish population is 16.7 million with 6.87 million Jews living in Israel and 5.7 million living in the United States of America. (source)
When Israel and Joseph were reunited, they held each other and wept “for a good while.” What a moment that must have been!
Joseph’s mission was now the movement of his family into Egypt; his plan was to have them settle down in the land of Goshen as shepherds. Joseph put the words into his brother’s mouths and gave them a crash course on palace etiquette. But Joseph couldn’t put the words into his father’s mouth, and we read a couple of interesting things on this:
First, when Pharaoh asked Jacob his age, he described his 130 years as “few and evil.” I get the few part, after all his father Abraham had lived to 175, but the evil? It had been a rough life of many mistakes and sin abounded, but so did grace. Jacob was chosen, he was a believer, he was saved, he was blessed; my personal opinion is that his life cannot be summarized as evil. How important our perspective is. Some see the cup half full, while others see the same cup as half empty.
Secondly, we read that two times this old, poor, and seemingly insignificant man blessed Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the world. Jacob was not intimidated in the presence of Pharaoh. And the truth is, Jacob was in one sense, greater than Pharaoh – in the Kingdom of God. We read in:
Hebrews 7:7 (NKJV) “Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.”
God blesses us that we might bless others.
The famine wore on and the Egyptian government was enriched by the people, they saved for the tough times ahead. That’s what Joseph did for God and Egypt, and the world…by God’s grace and wisdom he truly was a “saver.”
Joseph vowed to grant Jacob’s wishes and bury his father in the Promised-Land. How beautiful the example of Israel, to hold onto those dreams from God for ourselves as well as our children. (Genesis 47:29)
Warren Wiersbe, “Egypt was a haven for Jacob and his family, and there God protected them and built of them a great people. But Jacob knew that Egypt was not his home, Canaan was; and he wanted to be buried there with the others who had made the same pilgrimage of faith. He was a testimony in life, and he wanted to be a testimony in death. Despite his mistakes and failures in life, Jacob ended well.”
Genesis 48:1-49:33
Jacob (Israel) is getting closer to death and there are a few things he needs to take care of before he passes on.
One thing we notice in the Scriptures is that when the 12 Tribes of Israel are listed, we normally don’t read the names of Joseph or Levi on those lists, even though they were 2 of Jacob’s 12 sons. We get some of the background behind that here in Genesis 48 as Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim take his place in the Tribal List (doubling his inheritance). Jacob also blessed the younger more than the older, something he personally experienced as well.
Later we’ll see that Levi is not usually mentioned because his tribe will eventually be the priestly tribe and they will not inherit land to own, for the Lord will be their portion (Deuteronomy 18:1).
I get so blessed by the passage we read in:
Genesis 48:11 (NKJV) “And Israel said to Joseph, ‘I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!’”
Not only did Jacob see his son Joseph, but he was able to see the sons of Joseph! Wow! This is an Old Testament example of the New Testament promise in:
Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV) “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
Another endearing passage is:
Genesis 48:15 (NKJV) “And he blessed Joseph, and said: ‘God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day.‘”
If you’re like me, you probably pray and give God thanks before you eat, acknowledging the fact that every meal is from His hands (it really is). He’s fed us…all our lives.
The second thing we come across in today’s OT reading in Genesis, is Jacob blessing all of his sons (Genesis 49). It’s a fascinating combination of blessings (and lack thereof), by paying for the sins of the past, human potential, and divine prophecy. Genesis 49:10 is also a wonderful foretelling of Shiloh (Peacemaker = Messiah), through the lineage of Judah.
Genesis 49:23-24 mentions Joseph’s experience in that although the archers shot at him, he was strengthened by God not to fire back. How we need that strength!
The day eventually came when Jacob passed away and was gathered to his people, he was reconciled to his loved ones who had gone on before him in faith (Genesis 49:33). Tough for us, but triumphant for them.
Genesis 50:1-Exodus 2:10
Three burials are mentioned in Genesis 50. The burial of Jacob, the burial of the past, and the burial of Joseph.
Jacob refused to be buried in Egypt expressing the fact that he believed in God’s promise to him and his descendants, that one day they would inherit the Promised-Land. Faith is able to see God’s promises when circumstances show otherwise, and even when those dreams try dying, faith brings life.
The Egyptians way of embalming the bodies, with elaborate coffins, and extended mourning, are contrasted to the basic burials of the Jews.
Warren Wiersbe, “It is instructive to contrast the simple Jewish funerals with the elaborate burial customs of the Egyptians. There is certainly nothing wrong with caring for the body and expressing grief, so long as we keep things in perspective.”
The following timeline of Jacob’s life surprises most people, especially the fact that he wasn’t married until he was 84.
When Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feared for their lives, but Joseph had truly forgiven them from the bottom of his heart. He was also open to the obvious, that God had allowed it for good. It’s the Old Testament rendition of Romans 8:28!
Genesis 50:20 (NKJV) “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
What a wonderful example of forgiveness, there wasn’t a bit of bitterness in Joseph’s heart. Is there any in ours? (ponder that for a moment)
Not only did Joseph extend mercy to his brothers, by not giving them what they deserved, he lavished them with grace, by promising to provide for them and their little ones…he spoke kindly to them and comforted them. (Genesis 50:21)
When Joseph passed away he too, clung to the promise of the Promised-Land and asked that his bones be buried there.
Genesis 50:25 (NKJV) “Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’”
The New Testament commentary tells us he did this by faith.
Hebrews 11:22 (NKJV) “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.”