Gen. 42
The Book of Beginnings • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 75 viewsWe have lived or are still living the bad news. God gives us good news. Now, what will we do about it!?
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Sermon influenced by C. H. Spurgeon “Corn in Egypt”
Seeds of Hope
Seeds of Hope
INTRO
Illustration - picture = 1k words
Allegory - Jesus
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes it takes a thousand words to put a picture in our minds. Either way illustrations and allegories have a unique way of sticking with us. Humans have always been this way. This is why Jesus taught in parables, they always seem to stick with us better don’t they. As a pastor sometimes people will only remember your illustration even when they forget the sermon main point or the text, they will often remember a good illustration.
If you have a copy of God’s Word you can turn to and we will see the proof of this in the text today.
Jesus is the best preacher that ever was and he would often use common everyday items and circumstances to illustrate his points. It will be my goal today to do the same with this section of scripture here in . I believe that this picture illustrates the natural spiritual state of every human being you have ever met, outside of Christ.
SERMON BODY
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.
So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
Gen 41
V1
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION
When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
Jacob
elderly / patriarch - ch 37.34 gone
3 famines promised land
= better homeland
feat / famine = God is God
His people are not guaranteed lives of ease!
learned
by sight / by word
even the blind can see...
Egypt
prosperity =/= promise
Noah - Ham - Egypt = cursed
wealth of wicked stored up for the righteous
Sons
why look at each other?
don’t just stand there, do something!
difficult journey
even the blind can see...
difficulty
helplessness of man
Guilt
egypt / joseph / famine
danger of past sin!
When we are in trouble and want, it is folly for us to stand looking upon one another, that is, to stand desponding and despairing, as if there were no hope, no help,—to stand disputing either which shall have the honour of going first or which shall have the safety of coming last,—to stand deliberating and debating what we shall do, and doing nothing,—to stand dreaming under a spirit of slumber, as if we had nothing to do, and to stand delaying, as if we had time at command. Let it never be said, “We left that to be done to-morrow which we could a well have done to-day.”
And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.”
42.2 a
learned / heard
rumors / facts
42.2 b
Life or Death
meant to kill Joseph = means of life
meaning of words deeper then he knew!!
out of options
Practical
man cannot help / look to God
do something!
Joke of the flood and the man waiting to be rescued.
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt.
Josephs 10 Brothers
not Jacobs sons?
The # of Travelers
The Destination of Travelers
The Object of Travelers
not joseph’s brothers! - Benjamin?
only 10 / all 10 - same 10!
Obedience
love / respect = father
adults / families
no servants
difficult / long = journey
worth it!!!
But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him.
Benjamin
the new favorite
suspicion / fear
control / faith
1/11 lack...
Faulty Logic...
Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Thus the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
Sons of Israel
many will come / few will be chosen
God over ALL
A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Genesis Homiletical and Practical
The expression sons of Israel, instead of sons of Jacob, points to Israel the man of faith, whose children they were, who accompanied them with his prayers, and for whose sake, although he knew it not, this journey to Egypt, so dark in its commencement, became a blessing to them all.
APPLICATION
Pitiful Plight
great need
66 hungry mouths
the sinners estate
water
essential need
food / water / shelter
salvation / justification
total need
food - none to be had
righteousness - none on our own
Are you going through a tough time? Is life a struggle right now? Could it be that God is trying to get your attention? Could it be that He is trying to awaken you out of your spiritual slumber? Is it possible that God loves you so much and that He wants you to be His with such intensity that He will stop at nothing to turn your heart to Him?
V2
God was using these events to awaken the conscience of his brothers. He was stripping away the pretense and exposing the horror within. The brothers needed to see, to feel, to understand their own wickedness. It is unfortunate but true that often we do not understand sin until we see the way it hurts God and destroys others.
The Good News
true hope
Jacob learned / heard
OT / NT testify
God himself testifies
effectual hope
how much is stored up
who is in charge of it
sure hope
money unnecessary
if we ask we receive - invitation
As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”14 How are you using the authority God has given you? Are you using your authority for selfish ends or for the glory of God?
A boy’s toy boat went out of reach on a pond one day and started floating away. A man at the side of the pond started throwing rocks at the boat and the boy became horrified at what might happen. But then he realized that the rocks were going over the boat and making ripples that finally pushed the boat back to shore and into the boy’s hands. Many times, when we stray away from God, it appears that he is throwing rocks at us. But He is really using the ripples to bring us back home.25 Jacob thought God was throwing rocks at him, but in reality God was only throwing rocks around him in order to make some ripples that would bring his family back together.
Excellent Advice
go = act!
Act!
ACT!
no fear
CLOSE
In conclusion, I make this remark. Did you notice the argument Jacob used why the sons should go to Egypt? It was this - “That we may live and not die.” Sinner, this is my argument with you this morning! My dear hearers, the gospel of Christ is a matter of life and death with you!
I would only add this call to you, Christian, do not make the starving travel to find you to hear of the soul saving grace stored up for them. Rather go to them, tell them that they like Jacob might hear and learn and so too be saved from death to life!