Session 3 Genesis 12-50: Patriarchs of the Kingdom I. REVIEW: In our previous lesson, we began our walkthrough of the Old Testament looking at Genesis 1-11 and the Prelude to the Kingdom story: The Prelude to the Kingdom (1:1 11:26) Introduction Creation 1:1-2:3 Introduction General heading Specific Section heading introduced 2:4 the heavens and the earth 2:4 4:26 5:1 Adam 5:1 6:8 6:9 Noah 6:9 9:29 10:1 the sons of Noah 10:1 11:9 11:10 Shem 11:10 26 1
We also took some time to think about issues relating to creation and cosmology, particularly focusing on understanding Genesis 1. => In this second session, we re going to be transitioning from the opening of the Kingdom story to the next section of our walkthrough Every nation has its founders as a Ghanaian, we talk about the Big Six (the six men who founded the party that would lead to Ghanaian independence in 1960) as Americans, you re no doubt familiar with the Founding Fathers There isn t a nation on earth that doesn t have certain men at its foundation and even the people of God have a few founding fathers. Genesis 12-50 moves our story along in that the emphasis moves from four key events: Creation Fall Flood The Birth of the Nation 2
to some important people the founding fathers of the nation of Israel, and by extension, the people of God! II. STRUCTURE For the benefit of those who missed the last class, we noted that Genesis has its structure hard-wired into it Every time you see the phrase these are the generations (ESV), these are the family records (CSB), etc. you know you re transitioning to the next major section in the story. With that being said, we can pick up the structure of Genesis 12-50 right where we left off: The Patriarchs of the Kingdom (11:27-50:26) Specific Section General heading Introduction heading introduced 11:27 Terah 11:27 25:11 25:12 Ishmael 25:12 18 25:19 Isaac 25:19 35:29 36:1, 9 Esau 36:1 37:1 3
37:2 Jacob 37:2 50:26 This is where the narrative gets insightful. We can summarise each of these sections in one word (indebted to Dr Voddie Baucham and his excellent work Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colours): A. The Generations of Terah TRANSITION (11:27-25:11) This story really focuses on one of the great Biblical characters, Abraham. The story starts with Terah, the father of Abraham but from chapter 12 on, we re full-throttle into the life of Abraham. It s a story that isn t short on highs and lows Incredible faithfulness Incredible trust in God Incredible fear Abraham isn t a perfect man who is? But he is, at his core, a believing man a man who trusts the Lord who has been faithful to Him! 4
It s in this section that we are introduced to one of the most important Biblical moments: the Abrahamic Covenant. Given in Genesis 12, reaffirmed in chapter 15 and 17. We will definitely be coming back to that later! B. The Generations of Ishmael - UNBELIEF (25:12-18) One of the low points in Abraham s life is his dalliance with Hagar, his wife s maid. The fruit of that union was a son named Ishmael. Ishmael is the result of unbelief on the part of Abraham and Sarah unbelief that God who promised a barren couple they would be the progenitors of nations. But it s also the story of faithfulness God s faithfulness! In chapter 17:20, God promises to take care of Ishmael and this section ties up that storyline God does take care of Ishmael! C. The Generations of Isaac - PROMISE (25:19-35:29): 5
The story transitions from Father Abraham to his son Isaac (briefly) and his grandson Jacob who ends up being the central character of the narrative. Jacob is one of the most complex Biblical characters conniving (even his name means supplanter, trickster, hustler); impulsive; sometimes vindictive but by the end of Jacob (later renamed Israel s) life, we see a growth and maturity in the old man, the kind you don t just get from life experience, the kind you get from walking with God D. The Generations of Esau - ELECTION (36:1-37:1): Genesis 36 serves the same function as the little section in Genesis 25:12-18 does God s fulfillment of His promise to bless all of Abraham s descendants even his irreverent grandson (cf. Heb 12:16) But we can learn a little something from this second parenthetical section both Esau and Ishmael are the firstborn sons but neither are the children of the promise. This is an election story God chose the one He desired in His sovereign will 6
E. The Generations of Jacob (37:2-50:26) - NATION: It s in the final toledot of Genesis that we begin to get the foundation of the nation. Jacob s twelve sons will birth the twelve tribes but Joseph is given centre stage. Why? Because Joseph isn t really the star here Walk with me through this the story starts with Joseph loved by His father, hated by His brothers. Angry, they sold Him into slavery in Egypt. He prospers in Egypt despite adversity, ascends to the head of the nation and his family ultimately survive because he provides for them and moves them to Egypt Egypt where the children of Israel will later become a nation (like God said Genesis 15) Egypt where the children of Israel will have just been liberated as this is being told and later written down. This is really the story of a family becoming a nation in fulfillment of God s promise! 7
III. THE KINGDOM IN GENESIS 12-50 In Genesis 12-50, we have a wealth of information we can add to what we considered in our last session about the Kingdom of God: 1. God s kingdom program finds its focal point in Abraham and the great nation that will come from Him 2. Abraham and the great nation will function as vehicles for the blessing of the families/nations of the earth 3. Both Israel and Israel s land will function as microcosms of what God will do for all people groups 4. The kingly line will come through Jacob s son, Judah, and his descendence, and will culminate in one to whom it belongs (17:6; 49:8-10) 5. The coming descendant of Judah will rule not over Israel but also the Gentiles (the nations) IV. CHRIST IN GENESIS 12-50 Genesis 12-50, though the story of a nation, still tells us a great deal about Christ both in pronouncement and in picture: 8
A. Pronouncements about Christ: Genesis 12:3 through Abraham s offspring, Jesus will bless all the families of the earth (cf. Genesis 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14) Genesis 49:10 one of the most ignored Biblical prophecies but I will argue of the most critical: o Part of the struggle is how you even translate the key phrase: NASB; NKJV: until Shiloh comes ESV, CSB: until he comes whose right it is I take the latter view same phrase used in Ezek 21:27 o Big picture: Judah s line will be the King s line and one of his line will have not just the rule in Israel but from all the nations B. Pictures of Christ: This is one of my favourite things about Genesis all the fun, little easter eggs locked away in the Genesis narrative: Genesis 18 Isaac the son of promise Genesis 22 The son of the promise laid on the altar ready to be slain; the ram caught in the bush as a substitute 9
Joseph is a big-time picture or type of Christ: o Favoured son o Rejected by His brethren o Handed over to the Gentiles by His own o Exalted Saviour of his people V. FOCUS THEME: COVENANT One of the most themes in the Bible is that of covenant. A.W. Pink said: The covenants occupy no subordinate place on the pages of divine revelation, as even a superficial perusal of Scripture will show. The word covenant is found no fewer than twenty-five times in the very first book of the Bible; and occurs again scores of times in the remaining books of the Pentateuch, in the Psalms and in the Prophets. A.W. Pink, The Divine Covenants, 3 As you read the Bible, five major covenants emerge: A. The Eternal Covenant God s Covenant with Himself to Redeem People (Hebrews 13:20) 10
B. The Noahic Covenant God s Promise to Keep Earth Going (Genesis 9) C. The Abrahamic Covenant God s Promise to Bless All the Families of the Earth (Genesis 12, 17, 22) D. The Mosaic Covenant God s Promise to Bless His People Conditioned on Their Obedience (Ex 19-24) E. The Davidic Covenant God s Promise of a Eternal, Davidic Kingdom (2 Samuel 7) F. The New Covenant God s Promise of a Transformed People Who Will Inherit the Covenant Blessings (Jeremiah 31) Analogy of a train on track: The train is Biblical revelation The destination is the Kingdom of God The tracks are the Biblical covenants 11
Session 4 Exodus 1-18: Liberating the Kingdom Genesis 50 ends with Israel in Egypt Well God knew they would be in Egypt Gen 15:13-14. Note that God says they would go into a land that was not their own, they would be enslaved and oppressed but after four hundred years, they would come out Well, when we get to Exodus 1, we re about 320 years in And God is making good on His Word I. SUMMARY AND STRUCTURE The Book of Exodus is a drama of two halves. You can name the two halves redemption and revelation God saves His people and then God speaks to His people. The chart in your handout has a helpful visual summary: 12
Redemption from Egypt Ex 1:1-18:27 Getting Israel Out of Egypt Narration Birth of Moses Ex 1-2 Call of Moses Ex 3-6 Conflict with Pharaoh Ex 7-10 Exodus from Egypt Ex 11-12 Red Sea Crossed Ex 13-15 Journey To Sinai Ex 16-18 A. The Birth of Moses Exodus 1-2 B. The Call of Moses Exodus 3-6 C. Conflict with Pharoah Exodus 7-10 D. The Exodus from Egypt Exodus 11-12 E. Crossing the Red Sea Exodus 13-15 F. The Journey to Sinai Exodus 16-18 II. CHRIST IN EXODUS 1-18 III. FOCUS THEME: SALVATION THROUGH JUDGMENT 13