Jacob Moves to Egypt
Notes
Transcript
Today we are going to take a whirlwind journey to the end of Genesis. We are going to cover Gen. 46-50. It is basically one long narrative of Joseph and Jacob’s reunification as a family. It ends with the deaths of both Jacob and Joseph. Obviously we are not going to cover every verse, Which is not the usual for us. However due to it’s length we will rather makes some observations from the last few years of these men’s lives.
The last couple of weeks we have been encountering the story of Joseph. How his brother betrayed him, sold him into slavery and how God had used this to rescue his people.
Last week we left off where after Joseph reveals himself to his brothers he forgives them and has them send for his Father.
But as we will see today this account really isn’t about Joseph. It’s a picture of Christ and his rescue of us.
1. Joseph’s Journey of Reunion
1. Joseph’s Journey of Reunion
Genesis 46:1-27
You could start by exploring how Joseph's reunion with his family is not just a fulfillment of personal promises but divine ones.
1 Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said. And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”
3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.
4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.”
As we have mentioned many times in this series on Genesis. It is always important to keep a contextual understanding of the book you are studying. Genesis was written through diving inspiration by Moses to correct the Narrative of a people coming out of slavery in a polytheistic culture. It gave them a history of both the nation and God’s interaction in their story.
So when we look at these verse we must filter it through that information. So then what would the nation of Israel be expected to learn from this account?
God can and does orchestrate all things together for his eternal purposes.
There is more to the story than just a warm and fuzzy ending of reconciliation and reunification.
We see a beautiful picture here.
We see a group of people that sinned against their Savior. But through the plan of God was forgiven by the one they sinned against. Those who were estranged lived in the poverty of a far off land but were invited to come to a new home in which they would be forever taken care of by the one that forgave them.
This is not just a story, This is the Gospel being preached 1800 years before the birth of Christ. There was won who was coming, a savior, Jesus Christ who would forgive all those who will come and give them a new home.
If there are any skeptics here today, I want to challenge you to explain away the parallels of this story written 1800 years before anyone had heard the name of Jesus.
You see the promises that God gave to Jacob were not just about his family they were a divine picture of a one day coming savior.
Hebrews 2:11 gives us this picture of savior who is a brother.
11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
Now I want us to skip forward to Jacobs death. In this next passage we are about to read we see that Jacob is on his death bed. Jacob calls for the Joseph so that he can bless Him and his two sons before he dies.
13 Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right—and brought them to Israel.
14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may he bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
In this we see a prophetic picture of How the gospel would be received.
The first born, the nations of Israel) those who would receive the message of the good news first but would reject it. It would be the younger (gentiles) brought into the family much later that would carry the gospel to the world.
But look how Jacob describes God.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
Now fast forward to Psalms 23:1
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
Now take one more leap with me to the new testament to the words of Jesus.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
What do we see so far?
We See that the savior would be like one of us. A Brother. He would take on flesh.
We see that this same savior would be shepherd , a shepherd that would lay his life down for the sheep.
But then Jacob’s word’s continue
16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may he bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow to be numerous within the land.
He would be an Angel, a messenger, from God that would redeem our lives from all harm.
The Word “Angel” here is the same world for prophet or messenger. It is not saying that Jesus was part of the created angelic race but rather he would fulfill the office of prophet. He would be the very embodiment of the word. Jesus was the word in the flesh. His life and message proclaimed the very will and message of God.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
Maybe your here today and your thinking well that's all good and well. But how does this affect me today?
2. Resourcefulness in God's Plan
2. Resourcefulness in God's Plan
I want you to see the resourcefulness of God’s plan. I mean think about it for just a moment. Somehow ,in an astonishing way ,God took the messiness of a very disturbed and dysfunctional group of people.
In this line we have murder, incest, perverts, prostitution, greed, favoritism. hatred. I challenge you to find a sin that Jacob’s family didn’t commit.
and somehow God brought it all together to both proclaim the Gospel and predict its coming.
So what does that mean to you? That God can take your story and messed up as it is and use it to proclaim his redemption. No matter your family history no matter your past sin. Christ can redeem you and make you a picture of his love and a part of the greater story to redeem the world.
He has opened up the path for forgiveness and redemption by Jesus the savior, the very son of God dying for you, taking your Taking your place, paying for your sin, So that you too can be declared righteous in the eyes of God.
But its not just about you
3. Passing on the Promise
3. Passing on the Promise
28 These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this is what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.
We see that Jacob in blessing( and cursing) his children. He was passing on a generational faith. Your life, your redemption story isn’t supposed to end with you .
We are to pass on our faith in God to the next generation. Did you know what you choose to do or not do now will play a roll in future generations?
Mom and Dad, if you are nominally commited to Christ and his mission. There is a good chance your children will be less committed than you are.
If you regularly put sports and hobbies above your kids relationship with Christ. Most likely they will do the same or worse in raising their children.
This of course is not to say that God cannot and will not intervene but that would be the grace of God despite your actions and not through them.
The plan of God is that people of God will pass on a Godly heritage to their children and Grandchildren.
4. Jacob’s & Josephs Faith filled Final Farewells
4. Jacob’s & Josephs Faith filled Final Farewells
29 Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite.
30 The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property.
31 Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there.
32 The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.”
33 When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
Jacob would never see the fullness of the promise. Yet in faith through his death he would one day reach the promised land. The land promised by God beginning with Abraham. So he instructed his sons to take his bones to place where Abraham was burried, So tha this final resting place would be in the land of Promise.
Look at Joseph’s last recorded words.
22 Joseph and his father’s family remained in Egypt. Joseph lived 110 years.
23 He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation; the sons of Manasseh’s son Machir were recognized by Joseph.
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
25 So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.”
26 Joseph died at the age of 110. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.
Many of us here won’t live to see the return of Christ. Maybe some of us will. Who knows. But like Jacob those who are in Christ can go to their grave in peace with the fullness of the promise. That one Day Jesus will return to fulfill all that has been promised since the beginning of Genesis.
Even through death those in Christ will be carried into the promise land. It is in this that we find great hope. The last rescuer Jesus Christ has come and is coming.
You see the book of Genesis is not just a collection of miraculous storied that are fun to tell children. It’s not just a book about how to please God during good times and bad. It is a book the proclaims the very Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The book of Genesis began with a promise. There would be one that is coming that would crush the head of the serpent and rescue us from our sin.
So I have two questions this morning.
If you are not yet in Christ, IF you have not turned from your sin in repentance and put your faith fully in Jesus Christ. Won’t you choose to see that the rescue plan is for you?
If you have chosen to trust in God’s son, the redeemer, the rescuer. Are you living like he is coming. Are you striving to pass on your faith the next generation, starting with your own household?
Church family the rescue plan has been put into motion let’s labor in faith until he comes.
