The Christmas tree is one of the most recognizable symbols… read more

The sinfulness of man and the goodness of God

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This Christmas we’re going back, way back,  to four Old Testament women in Jesus’ family tree. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus records them for us – four unlikely women, who exhibit through their lives God’s redemptive purpose in sending Jesus to this world.

Time to take one last look at Genesis, where we’ve been, and what it all means. From the dawn of creation, our journey has brought us to the banks of the Nile; Jacob’s children and their families are in a foreign land, but God is enacting His plan to rescue the world.

Scripture says that ‘it is appointed unto men once to die’ – but how we die, and how we face death, reflects the reality of our faith. The final scenes in Genesis recount the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, and demonstrate their faith in God and His promises, at the end of life.

While Genesis reveals God as being patient and faithful, He is also holy and just. In Gen. 49, Jacob gathers his sons to tell their futures, both good and bad, based on how they lived their lives. The lesson for Christians today is transparent: What you do now matters!

Aren’t you glad God is patient? We are fickle, and often fail, but He is faithful! Jacob fought with God for much of his life, but God never gave up on him, and in his last days, God won his heart. He showed he had learned to trust God – a life lesson we all need to learn.

While God’s plan cannot be thwarted by the sinful actions of men, it is magnified when combined with the wise leadership of godly men. Joseph is ‘Exhibit A’ of this truth, both with his family, and with the Egyptians. Happy is the man who finds wisdom (Proverbs 3:13)!

God keeps His word!   He told Abraham his descendants would go to a foreign land, and now they are traveling to Egypt. On the way, He reminds Jacob that He will make them a great nation, but little could Jacob have known then how! God’s providential power is on display.

The tension that has been building since Joseph’s brothers first came to Egypt is released as he reveals who he is! They are frightened, but need not be: Joseph sees God’s sovereign hand at work, preserving a nation, and restoring a family. This is what God can do!

Twenty years after being sold by his brothers, Joseph is ruling Egypt. Not knowing it is him, they stand before him in need of food. Have their hearts changed? The tension reaches a fever pitch as Joseph instigates a test to determine if their spiritual transformation is real.

The famine forces Joseph’s brothers back to Egypt for a second time. God awakened their guilt the first trip; now, spiritual transformation is exhibited in selfless behavior. The wintry chill of guilt melts into the spring of concern for others, confession, and peace.

The Awakening of Conscience – Hunger is a great motivator, and in Genesis 42, God uses it to draw Joseph’s brothers to Egypt. There, God uses Joseph to expose their spiritual guilt. Admitting their sin was the first step in transforming this dysfunctional family into a godly nation.

Living as a Christian in the world can feel like a fish out of water! We are aliens and strangers, but greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! God is preparing us for service in a hostile environment, we just don’t know how or when. So be ready!

There are many ‘prisons’ in life, often hidden from view. Spiritual prisons are worse than physical ones. We cry out for God to deliver us, but sometimes it seems He has forgotten us. God doesn’t do that. He’ll never forsake you. As you dream, never stop trusting in God!

As Genesis 39 opens, Joseph is in slavery in Egypt. That’s bad, but he’s about to go from the frying pan into the fire!

James 4.17 says, “To one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” God’s perspective on sin, and His ability to sovereignly bring good out of a corrupt situation, is on display in our passage today – the scandalous story of Judah and Tamar.

That’s our story today: Joseph heads straight into a predictable disaster! He escapes death, but is sold into slavery. This leads to lies, and his father’s grief. But God has a hand in it all.

The final section of Genesis, the toledot of Jacob, begins abruptly in Genesis 37 with the revelation of a dysfunctional family. Emotions run hot, and divisions run deep. There are hints of what is to come, and behind the scenes, the hand of God is guiding it all.

Genesis 36 is a tiresome and seemingly useless list of Esau’s family tree…but it tells a story. Esau conquered the land of Edom; his sons and grandsons are prosperous and powerful. In contrast, Jacob is in Canaan, going nowhere. Why? What lessons are there for us here?